Board Of Pilot Commissioners News

The Board of Pilot Commissioners for the Bays of San Francisco, San Pablo, and Suisun (BOPC) announced that its next Pilot Trainee Training Program Selection Examination will be held in June 2022 at the California State University Maritime Academy in Vallejo, Calif. Applications are due no later than April 15, 2022.The BOPC typically conducts maritime pilot trainee training program selection examinations every two to three years, or when there is a need for licensed pilots. The last examination was held in 2019.

Port Everglades' largest tenant is urging the Florida Board of Pilot Commissioners to reject a proposed fee increase for harbor pilot services that it says would unfairly raise average pilotage costs more than 100 percent for shipping lines that call frequently at the port.While the proposed fee structure would decrease fees for cruise ships, it would hike the costs for companies that operate frequent-call feeder vessels that sail in and out of Port Everglades, Crowley Maritime Corporation said in a statement.

No less than 15 shipping companies, many of them top 10 liner companies, have written to Port of Houston Chairman Janice Longoria to reject the latest call for substantial rate hikes on the Houston Ship Channel. Local pilots already earn salaries that approach $500,000 annually.Like any other major U.S. port, registered foreign flag vessels must use a local state pilot on the Houston Ship Channel. According to local shipping stakeholders, the rates for those mandated services have spiraled more than 50% in the past 14 years alone.The rate increase proposal, a seemingly regular event at most U.S. ports over time, has on this occasion, struck a raw nerve at precisely the wrong time for industry.

Federal Pilots to appeal. Local spat has regional and national implications. The Galveston-Texas City Pilots and the five-member Board of Pilot Commissioners for Galveston County are facing a serious legal challenge from five pilot applicants and their local attorney. In a nutshell, local, federally licensed and similarly qualified pilots want to compete for business in a previously closed space. In Texas, like virtually every other U.S. state, a local group of pilots – so-called ‘state pilots’ are given the privilege of providing all marine pilot services for deep draft registered (foreign) traffic. In essence, it amounts to a legal monopoly.

The Port of Houston Authority is expecting 2014 to close as a banner year for the port, with 34 million tons of cargo handled through November, Executive Director Roger Guenther reported to the port commission of the Port of Houston Authority at its monthly meeting Tuesday. "Container volumes are on pace for a record year, and steel imports are set to surpass the previous tonnage highs set in 2008," Guenther said, adding that cargo operations for November reflect a 15 percent increase in container TEUs and an 82 percent growth in steel imports, year over year.

Following the recent meeting of the Port Commission of the Port of Houston Authority, the following news items  of note were released. The Port Commission approved a $68 million construction contract with Orion Construction L.P. for Bayport and Barbours Cut channel improvements. These significant dredging projects will begin, following issuance of U.S. Army Corps of Engineers permits and approval of its assumption of maintenance of the channels, Executive Director Roger Guenther reported.

The Houston Port Commission and Board of Pilot Commissioner have rescheduled meetings originally set for Tuesday, January 28 due to a forecasted mix of freezing rain and sleet, which they said could cause unsafe driving conditions The Port  Commission of the Port of Houston Authority will meet in regular session on Friday, January 31, at 9 a.m., followed by a meeting of the Board of Pilot Commissioners at 10 a.m. or immediately following the adjournment of the Port Commission meeting. The Port Commission Community Relations Committee will convene at 10:30 a.m. or immediately following the Board of Pilot Commissioners meeting. The meetings will take place in the fourth floor boardroom of the Port Authority Executive Building, 111 East Loop North (Exit 29 off Loop 610) in Houston.

The port commissioners, sitting as the Board of Pilot Commissioners for Harris County Ports, are considering a proposed 3.5% increase in pilotage rates for the Houston Pilots. Interested parties will make oral presentations at a public hearing on Tuesday, November 19, 2013 at 9 am. The public hearing will be held on the 4th Floor of the Port of Houston Authority Building, 111 East Loop North, Houston, Texas  77029. houstonpilotboard.com

When a vessel-related accident occurs on the navigable waters of the United States, the investigation machinery starts up almost immediately. The operator, owner, or person in charge of a vessel involved in such a casualty is obliged to give the soonest practicable notification, often followed by a written report, to the local Coast Guard Sector or office. This begins a process in which livelihoods, liberty, and civil liability might all be at stake. Careful thought is required when the Coast Guard investigating officer calls to request an interview.

The Coast Guard adjourned the formal hearings, Thursday, March 11, concerning the Jan. 23, 2010, incident involving the tank vessel Eagle Otome, the Gull Arrow and the tug Dixie Vengeance. The incident resulted in more than 400,000 gallons of oil being spilled into the Sabine-Neches waterway. Eric Lewis, the VTS watchstander, testified concerning his training, maritime experience, and the details of the displays and sensors he monitors as a watchstander. He also described his watch and the geographic area of the waterway he monitors.

The Office of the Governor of California said that Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed into law various bills to enhance oil spill prevention and response and to increase the oversight and accountability of state pilots. Among the bills are S.B. 1739 that requires oil spill response organizations to demonstrate deployment of response resources and S.B. 1627 that moves the Board of Pilot Commissioners under the oversight of the Business, Transportation, and Housing Agency. Source: HK Law