Authority & Responsibility During Pilotage

15 January 2026 4 min read Latest Articles

Why command never transfers — even when control feels shared

Contents

Use the links below to jump to any section:

Why Authority During Pilotage Is Commonly Misunderstood
Legal Reality: Command Does Not Transfer
Practical Reality: Control Often Appears to Transfer
The Master’s Responsibility — Always Present
The Pilot’s Authority — Real but Limited
Where Authority Breaks Down in Practice
The Moment Authority Must Be Asserted
Authority During Emergencies and Degraded Situations
Authority Failures in Accident Investigations
Professional Command Mindset During Pilotage

1. Why Authority During Pilotage Is Commonly Misunderstood

Pilotage is one of the few shipboard situations where authority, control, and responsibility appear separated.

The pilot gives directions.
The ship responds.
The Master observes.

This visual arrangement creates a powerful — and dangerous — illusion that command has transferred.

It has not.

The misunderstanding arises not from ignorance of the rules, but from social and operational pressure on the bridge.

2. Legal Reality: Command Does Not Transfer

The legal position is absolute.

The Master:

retains command at all times
remains responsible for the safety of the ship
cannot delegate or surrender that responsibility

The presence of a pilot does not alter this.

This applies regardless of:

compulsory pilotage
local law
pilot seniority or experience

Legal responsibility is continuous, not conditional.

3. Practical Reality: Control Often Appears to Transfer

While command remains with the Master, tactical control often shifts.

The pilot:

issues helm and engine orders
directs tug use
controls speed and alignment

This creates the operational reality that the pilot appears “in charge”.

This is acceptable — until safety margins erode.

At that point, appearance must yield to authority.

4. The Master’s Responsibility — Always Present

The Master’s role during pilotage is not passive.

It includes:

setting and protecting safety margins
monitoring speed, track, and UKC
ensuring agreed limits are respected
intervening when necessary

Responsibility is not exercised continuously —
but it must be instantly available.

A Master who disengages has not delegated authority — they have abandoned oversight.

5. The Pilot’s Authority — Real but Limited

Pilots have genuine authority in practice.

They bring:

local knowledge
familiarity with port constraints
experience with local traffic and conditions

However, pilot authority is advisory by law, operational by consent.

It exists only while:

actions remain within agreed limits
margins remain intact
ship safety is not compromised

Pilots expect Masters to intervene when safety is threatened.

6. Where Authority Breaks Down in Practice

Authority failures typically occur when:

the Master hesitates to challenge
the pilot assumes silence equals agreement
the bridge team defers judgement
social pressure suppresses intervention

This creates a vacuum where:

nobody actively controls risk
concerns are noticed but not voiced
intervention comes too late

Authority did not disappear — it simply was not exercised.

7. The Moment Authority Must Be Asserted

Authority must be asserted when:

agreed speed limits are exceeded
UKC margins erode
environmental forces increase unexpectedly
manoeuvres begin late or feel unstable
pilot orders conflict with safety

Assertion does not require confrontation.

It requires clarity and decisiveness.

Delay is the most common failure.

8. Authority During Emergencies and Degraded Situations

When systems degrade or emergencies develop:

pilot situational awareness narrows
response time compresses
ambiguity becomes dangerous

In these moments, authority must become explicit.

The Master may need to:

take the con
issue direct orders
override pilot instructions

This is not disrespectful.
It is command doing its job.

9. Authority Failures in Accident Investigations

Accident reports repeatedly reveal:

Masters recognised danger but delayed
pilots continued based on assumption
no one formally took control
intervention came after loss of margin

The phrase “the pilot was in charge” appears often —
and explains nothing.

Authority was present.
It was simply not used in time.

10. Professional Command Mindset During Pilotage

Professional Masters understand:

authority is constant, not situational
intervention is a safety act, not a failure
early assertion prevents later confrontation
pilots respect clear leadership

They do not hover.
They do not abdicate.
They remain calmly, visibly in command.

Closing Perspective

Pilotage is shared operation — not shared responsibility.

The pilot advises.
The bridge executes.
The Master remains accountable.

When authority is clear, pilotage feels calm and cooperative.

When authority is ambiguous, the ship drifts into danger —
not because nobody was in charge, but because no one acted like it.