Command ships to steer them into and out of harbors, estuaries, straits, or sounds, or on rivers, lakes, or bays. Must be licensed by U.S. Coast Guard with limitations indicating class and tonnage of vessels for which license is valid and route and waters that may be piloted.
<ul><li>Direct courses and speeds of ships, based on specialized knowledge of local winds, weather, water depths, tides, currents, and hazards.</li><li>Steer ships into or out of berths, or signal tugboat captains to berth or unberth ships.</li><li>Set ships' courses to avoid reefs, outlying shoals, or other hazards, using navigational aids, such as lighthouses or buoys.</li><li>Prevent ships under navigational control from engaging in unsafe operations.</li><li>Serve as a vessel's docking master upon arrival at a port or at a berth.</li><li>Consult maps, charts, weather reports, or navigation equipment to determine and direct ship movements.</li><li>Give directions to crew members steering ships.</li><li>Operate ship-to-shore radios to exchange information needed for ship operations.</li><li>Provide assistance to vessels approaching or leaving seacoasts, navigating harbors, or docking and undocking.</li><li>Report to appropriate authorities any violations of federal or state pilotage laws.</li><li>Provide assistance in maritime rescue operations.</li><li>Advise ships' masters on harbor rules and customs procedures.</li><li>Learn to operate new technology systems and procedures through instruction, simulators, or models.</li></ul>