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Pilotage Service

The PLA Pilotage Department ensures the effective and economic provision of pilotage services within the London Pilotage District 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

A brief history of pilotage on the Thames
Pilotage today
Requesting the services of an authorised Pilot
Further information

A brief history of pilotage on the Thames

Before 1540 any pilotage activities that happened on the River Thames were completely unregulated but in that year King Henry VIII granted Trinity House a Royal Charter to regulate pilotage on the River Thames.  The responsibilities of the Trinity House Corporation for pilotage expanded from that time so that by 1986 the Corporation was the Pilotage Authority not only for London but also for over 40 other districts. The Corporation licensed upwards of 500 self-employed Pilots and the cost of running the service was met by charging licence fees plus a levy on the earnings of the Pilots from each pilotage act.

The Pilotage Act of 1987 transferred responsibility for the pilotage district of the River Thames and its estuary to the Port of London Authority and, from 1^st October 1988, the Pilots became directly employed by the PLA. The 1987 Act allowed the PLA to cover the cost of providing the service by charging each vessel that used the services of a PLA Pilot.

Pilotage today

All PLA Pilots hold an STCW Class 1 Master's Certificate. In a carefully integrated operation they work closely with the Duty Port Controller in the PLA's Port Control Centre (PCC).  All  Duty Port Controllers are fully qualified PIlots who combine duties in Port Control with their normal pilotage duties.

Today's trends suggest that the size of ships being handled will continue to increase and the Port of London is preparing to welcome some of the world's largest container ships at the new London Gateway Port development. In addition, Tilbury Power Station is now handling Panamax ships of up to 13 metres draught at its new jetty and cruise liners heading to the upriver moorings are becoming larger. PLA Pilots are now successfully conducting certain ships stern first into the lock at Port of Tilbury  in tidal conditions which would otherwise make access inadvisable.

A PLA PIlot (right) with a ship's Master

These manoeuvres have been studied, developed and practised using the PLA's Ship Bridge Simulator, which has more than proved its worth since being installed at the Gravesend Port Control Centre in 2003. As well as being used for routine and refresher training of Pilots, thus removing the need for them to travel elsewhere for such training, the simulator is vital to the PLA's plans for the future. The ability to exactly replicate the varying tide, wind and visibility conditions of the River Thames means that it can be used to prove the viability of proposed new berths and to train Pilots on new facilities in the Port.

A planned mid-life upgrade of the simulator was undertaken in 2006 and this provided even more realism and increased useability. It is also now available (by arrangement) for some third-party use.

Boarding and landing of Pilots takes place from Sheerness, Ramsgate, Harwich and Gravesend. The pilot cutters at Sheerness and Ramsgate are purpose-built craft operated by Estuary Services Ltd (ESL) which is a joint partnership between the PLA and Medway Ports. Boarding and landing services at Harwich are provided by the Harwich Haven Authority and for operations at Gravesend the PLA uses its own cutter ‘Patrol’ or  the multi-purpose harbour service lLaunch/pilot cutter ‘Benfleet’. (Click here for more information about these vessels). All PLA Pilots are equipped with personal locator beacons so, if the worst happened and a Pilot fell into the water while attempting to board or leave a ship, the beacon's signal would be activated and the Pilot will be quickly located and rescued by the pilot cutter or other rescue vessel.

Click below to view a film about the PLA's Pilotage Service.

A system of Pilotage Exemption Certificates (PEC) is operated by the PLA for ships' senior officers who are regular callers at the Port. The process of issuing these Certificates involves intensive assessment of each case. About 250 PECs were in force at the end of 2006.

Requesting the services of an authorised Pilot

The services of a PLA Pilot can be requested by the master of any vessel irrespecive of whether pilotage is compulsory for the vessel concerned. Full details of compulsory pilotage regulations, together with full details of how to order a pilot and a list of contact addresses, can be found in the PLA's Pilotage Directions. 

How to order a Pilot

Using a local agent

Many ships use the services of a local agent to order a Pilot. These local companies have a good knowledge of the requirements and a list of local agents can be found here.

Direct to the Port of London Authority

The pilotage service will take your order direct at any time. The office is always open 24 hours a day, every day of the year.

You can contact us using any of the following methods:-

The PLA's Pilotage Co-ordinator will discuss the options as to which Pilot Station to use, agree a boarding time and will be able to liaise with a senior PLA Pilot should there be a problem with draught and available depth.

How to pay for a Pilot

A list of pilotage charges is published on this site. Invoices are normally issued after completion of the pilotage act.

Further information

For more information about the PLA Pilotage Service visit: Pilotage Exemptions | PEC Holders | Boarding and Landing Code of Practice | Pilotage Charges | Pilotage Directions

The following sites also contain information on pilotage: UKMPA | IMPA