Pilotage - a few hints for 'would be' Day Skippers

Pilotage - what is it ?

There are numerous definitions, one I particularly like is - 'pilotage is the use of fixed visual references on the ground or sea by means of sight to guide oneself to a destination'.

Certainly in the Solent and around much of the UK coastline there are numerous visual references wherever you may be, for these visual references to be effective we need to work up a pilotage plan so that we can identify what we can see and as a result know the location of our vessel. A pilotage plan will enable us to safely navigate up a river or into a harbour and we have many tools at our disposal to help us work up an effective plan:

• Almanac
• Large scale charts
• Tidal Stream Atlas
• Pilot books
• Nomad course notes (if you have taken one of our classroom courses or are a member of 'Club Nomad')

With the help of the tools at our disposal what are we actually looking for to work up our plan ?

• Identifiable buoys
• Transits (when two objects line up one in front of the other)
• Bearings (using a magnetic compass to identify where we are in relation to a known mark)
• Back bearings (using a magnetic compass to find the bearing to an object behind us or staying on the same magnetic bearing in relation to an object behind us)
• Depth contours (can we follow a line of depth on the seabed using our echo sounder)
• Knowing the height of tide at the time we will be executing our pilotage
• Knowing what the tidal streams will be doing when we are executing our plan
• Finding out if there are any rules specific to the area we are intending to navigate
• Finding out if there is a specific VHF radio channel we should be listening to whilst executing our pilotage

As Benjamin Franklin once said, "If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail." There are many benefits to producing a comprehensive pilotage plan, not least, it means you have looked and written out in detail where you are planning to go and as a result much of it will stay in your mind. My preference is a sketch and that is what I am covering here but there is an alternative called a 'rolling road' which is covered in a separate blog. Many people today rely solely on their GPS chart plotter and whilst having this as a back up may be a comfort there are many things that could go awry:

• They have not necessarily looked ahead at the area being navigated so do not know what to expect
• Power to systems may be lost
• Is the chart on the plotter up to date, a new unidentified buoy may throw you off
• There are some very comprehensive navigation systems out there but does the plotter take into account tidal heights and streams ?
• A chart plotter will not give you rules of entry if there are any nor will it give you VHF channels to listen to if there are any

Let's take Portsmouth, one of the more complex harbours to enter.

I am certainly no artist but the above is how I like to draw my pilotage plans, I have looked at the almanac in detail and the charts, I have looked at the pilot book to see if there is any further useful information. I have then drawn my plan so much of the information is in my head before we come to execute it. I have put courses between each of the buoys but to be honest (except in thick fog) you will be able to see the next buoy by sight. The other element that could be added here is distance between the main buoys. No charts or books are allowed on deck in case they get blown away or dropped, but you can go down below to check on anything if need be. Very early on in my sailing career I thought it would be a great idea just to photocopy excerpts from the almanac for the ports of entry I needed. I soon learned that it was probably one of the worst ideas I had, without really studying it everything was new at the point of execution and an element of panic ensues. Plan in order to succeed.

How does this work at night - find out more

The Golden Rules of Pilotage:

Never enter into an unfamiliar or uncertain pilotage situation without first having a pilotage plan. If necessary, stop the boat, heave-to, pick up a mooring anchor, or circle before entering so you can prepare the plan. Or, best still, make the plan before you leave!

If at any point you are uncertain of your position go back to your last known mark or stop and work it out.

The pilotage plan allows you to direct the boat from the cockpit rather than the chart-table.

Of course, there are other elements to consider when skippering in pilotage situations – where should the sails be raised/lowered. When do we call for a berthing advice, the preparation of lines/anchor/fenders and other deck work. Soon enough this will all come naturally, but you might consider adding reminders to various sections of the plan to keep on top of it all.

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