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what is a Pilot boat?
For centuries, pilot boats have been the unsung heroes of maritime commerce. These specialized vessels meet deep-sea ships at sea, transferring local pilots who guide vessels safely through harbors, rivers, and channels. The job demands vessels that are fast, seaworthy, rugged, and above all, safe.
Pilots and the work functions of the maritime pilot go back to Ancient Greece and Roman times, when incoming ships' captains employed locally experienced harbor captains, mainly local fishermen, to bring their vessels safely into port. Eventually, in light of the need to regulate the act of pilotage and ensure pilots had adequate insurance, the harbors themselves licensed pilots for each harbor.
Taking all types of commercial schooners into consideration, the pilot boat most closely approaches the yacht in her requirements, since she carries no cargo and has to be fast and seaworthy. The reputations of individual schooners of the pilot boat class have been of the highest, not only for speed and weatherliness but also for beauty.
It is commonly supposed that New York's bid for nautical fame durning the days of sailing ships rest on her grand packets and swift clipper ships. It was the clean lined pilot schooners that brought recognition at home and abroad to the shipbuilders of New York.
Howard Chapelle
In this classroom we will be using the Gracie S as the example, but the class will venture into a generic discussion that can be applied to any project. The classroom will be divided into subtopics as we go along.
For centuries, pilot boats have been the unsung heroes of maritime commerce. These specialized vessels meet deep-sea ships at sea, transferring local pilots who guide vessels safely through harbors, rivers, and channels. The job demands vessels that are fast, seaworthy, rugged, and above all, safe.
Pilots and the work functions of the maritime pilot go back to Ancient Greece and Roman times, when incoming ships' captains employed locally experienced harbor captains, mainly local fishermen, to bring their vessels safely into port. Eventually, in light of the need to regulate the act of pilotage and ensure pilots had adequate insurance, the harbors themselves licensed pilots for each harbor.
Taking all types of commercial schooners into consideration, the pilot boat most closely approaches the yacht in her requirements, since she carries no cargo and has to be fast and seaworthy. The reputations of individual schooners of the pilot boat class have been of the highest, not only for speed and weatherliness but also for beauty.
It is commonly supposed that New York's bid for nautical fame durning the days of sailing ships rest on her grand packets and swift clipper ships. It was the clean lined pilot schooners that brought recognition at home and abroad to the shipbuilders of New York.
Howard Chapelle
In this classroom we will be using the Gracie S as the example, but the class will venture into a generic discussion that can be applied to any project. The classroom will be divided into subtopics as we go along.
