Pilotage Requirements

Very useful info.

Good post Ken. These parasites are a pain in the bi-fold.

Make sure the mayors and local chambers of commerce know you will not be bringing quite a few thousand dollars their fair cities, and exactly why.

Ken,
Good info. Regarding VA, I'm assuming you are not over 300 tons. But when you say "under state and federal law", is that becasue you are a US citizen?
Also, under what pretense did the local pilots give you a bill for? Just because they assumed you had to have one?!? Thanks

it's called tax the people that work hard/smart to feed the people that don't want to work or are to lazy to go to work

.....travler

Pascal,

He was headed to us at South Jersey Marina. We frequently host vessels over 100 feet, and have been advertising in the Triton and other publications to increase our large motoryacht presence.

We are, of course, distressed with the pilots more aggressive stance of late and are working with our local officials to address it.

If anyone else has had encounters with the Delaware Pilots that we should know about, please contact me.

Rick Weber
South Jersey Marina

South Jersey Marina

Pascal,

I have stopped at SJM going north and south for the last 10 years and it's a great spot.

Last year we had our new boat in there which is 130' X 26' X 7.5' and didn't have a problem. In fact it's kind of fun to see the looks from the people at the Lobster House as you turn around off the dock. I'm pretty sure money has changed hands on several occasions when were done.

Rick,

We did not stop this year because were warned last year on departure that the pilots would be watching and require us to use one since we are over 100 tons.

The interesting thing is the "exempt under federal statutes" that Ken Bracewell mentions. The pilots association claims that the state law supersedes the federal law and therefore they can require whatever they want.

The question I never got an answer to was this. State pilotage is granted to individuals who qualify for certain areas of transit. Some can run the entire bay and river and others have limits on what areas they cover. This is based on the number of trips they have over the route and drawing the route to scale during testing.

When I asked which pilot they could provide who was licensed for the waters from the jetties and your marina they ended the discussion but still insisted they would require me to take a pilot (or pay for one) if I came back. I have more experience over that route than any of their people. This is the basic idiocy of this whole money making scam.

It's the same situation in New York. I worked for McAllister towing and for 5 years pushed 500 ft oil barges through the East River and Hell Gate, night and day without a pilot. Today because of the flag on the stern, I can't take the 128 foot yacht through there without a pilot. However someone who never saw New York before can take a 160 footer through there without a pilot as long as there is a US flag on the stern.

Now exactly how does that make anybody safer?

Ken,

Thanks for the updated list.

I am hoping that someone here was at the Newport Charter show to hear the presentation given by the Northeast Pilots president concerning enforcement in the Long Island Sound area. That is likely to be the next big showdown. Maybe Triton or the Super Yacht Society will print something.

One last question. Has anybody noticed that the areas with facilities where larger yachts can stay and spend time (and money) have less stringent requirements than the waters where the same yachts usually just "pass through"?

I was just thinking that maybe since there is no place in the Delaware Bay to dock, or once you get past Baltimore the only way to make money...... Na, that can't be it.

Delaware Pilots

ychtcptn,

Good to hear that they ignored you this time. let's hope it's the beginning of the end.

My position on the Cape May (and Atlantic City) situation for this year is this. NJ as a state says foreign flag yachts under 200 feet do not require a pilot, in NY it's under 100 ft.

NJ is serviced by at least 2 pilot associations,Sandy Hook and Delaware.

Both pilot associations serve at least 2 states. Sandy Hook; NJ and NY. Delaware; NJ, DE, PA.

We are 128 ft, 340 tons.

With the Sandy Hook pilots I go by the state rules and use a pilot in NY waters because we are over 100ft but not in NJ since we are under 200 ft. The pilots are in complete agreement.

In Delaware a pilot is required over 100 tons. However, since Cape May is in NJ waters, the Delaware pilots should operate under the NJ rule of under 200 ft not needing a pilot.

Since these are state regulations, they should be uniform throughout state, not subject to interpretation by local associations.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it, at least until they fine me.

Now, what the heck is going to happen in Long Island?