Module 16 - Pilotage
What Is Pilotage?
Confined water compresses the time available to detect and correct an error. Pilotage therefore combines an updated chart and publications with visual marks, depth, compass, distance, time, electronic position and local information. No single source—including a chartplotter—should carry the whole plan.
Break the route into legs bounded by conspicuous features or decisions. For each leg record the track, distance or time, expected marks, depth limits, traffic or call requirements, and a clearing limit. Brief who will steer, identify marks, monitor depth and handle lines without hiding the skipper's overall picture.
Execution is a loop: observe, compare, control and confirm. If an expected feature is absent, the depth trend is wrong, traffic changes or the vessel reaches a pre-briefed limit, slow down, hold or abort while there is still room. A pilotage plan supports judgement; it is not a script that makes conditions safe.
- Use short legs with observable cues, limits and a safe next decision
- Cross-check visual, depth, compass, distance, time, electronic and local information
- Brief roles while keeping one person responsible for the complete picture
- Hold or abort before uncertainty consumes the remaining sea room
| Pilotage loop | Question aboard | Typical evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Observe | What can we identify now? | Mark, transit, light, depth, bearing or position |
| Compare | Does it match the planned stage? | Expected side, sequence, range, time and depth trend |
| Control | What small safe action is needed? | Course, speed, crew task, call, hold or abort |
| Confirm | Did the action produce the expected result? | New bearing, alignment, clearance, depth and traffic picture |
Optional quick check
Section 1 of 8
What is the safest first response when two independent pilotage cues disagree with the plan?
Continue studying Pilotage
This public lesson is part of Revision Module 16. Full revision access adds the guided Learn, Practise and Test flow, flashcards and revision progress.