The mooring pilot is, in a sense, the ship’s eyes, hands and ears when it is docking or setting sail. He secures the ship to the quay’s bollards using thick ropes known as mooring lines. Whether on board their launch, on shore or on the ship itself, the mooring officer is a seafarer specialising in these sometimes perilous tasks.

Qualities and skills

• Ability to work as part of a team
• Physical and mental stamina
• Concentration and vigilance
• Responsiveness and adaptability
• Punctuality
• A wide range of technical skills (in-depth knowledge of mooring techniques)

Educational and training qualifications

Maritime CAP in general seafaring

BEP-M in Merchant Navy, BEP-M in Marine Engineering

Specific maritime qualifications or licences may be required (Certificate of Basic Nautical Training, marine engine operator’s licence, etc.). Note: it is often former seafarers with at least five years’ seagoing experience who enter the profession of mooring operator. As recruitment is becoming increasingly difficult, it is possible to be taken on as a trainee deckhand by attending a maritime apprenticeship school.

Sectors and companies

Generally speaking, all commercial ports require pilot boat operators. In Le Havre, the Société coopérative de lamanage des ports du Havre et d’Antifer is responsible for recruiting and managing the pilot boat crews. It is a private-sector company.

Source: LH PORT CENTER – Further information at www.lhportcenter.com