From Pilot To Captain – A Handoff At Sea

From the moment we walked onboard the Norwegian Sky we had been “on the go” just like my old days of cruising. 

My motto is “Life is NOT a dress rehearsal.” So every minute onboard is a minute to explore and to enjoy the cruising way of life. But I will admit the years have caught up with me. So instead of standing on the deck in the 85 degree humidity we decided to head to our cabin for a nap before dinner. And I must say that comfy bed in our air conditioned, quiet cabin was a welcome refuge.

Enjoying a late afternoon nap meant we missed sailing out of the harbor and into the open sea. It was a trade off for sure…but worthwhile nonetheless.

But suddenly  a familiar noise woke me from my deep slumber. It was a sound that immediately took me back to another time and place. Instantly I recognized that sound and I sat straight up in bed. I crawled up to lean on the ledge and peer out of the porthole to look straight down to the water…and there it was!

The Pilot Boat!

What Is A Pilot Boat?

For those of you who have never cruised let me explain what a Pilot Boat is.

Massive ships and freighters sail in and out of harbors worldwide, and every harbor poses different risks. No ship captain can keep up with changing depths, currents and hazards of every port of call, so local pilots come onboard before the ship leaves the dock. That pilot guides the massive ship out of the harbor and into the open sea. Then a small Pilot Boat comes out to collect the pilot and take him back to the port. (The same process happens in reverse when a ship approaches a port. A pilot is brought out to guide the ship safely into the harbor.)

The sound I heard was the revving engine of the Pilot Boat as they pulled alongside our ship to collect the local pilot. By pressing my nose against the glass I was thrilled to see that the gangway was directly below our cabin porthole. I had a bird’s eye view of the process!

So…how does a pilot get off of the cruise ship to head back “home?”  I’ve seen it done several ways. Sometimes a rope ladder is lowered from a mid ship deck so the captain can climb down. But I have also watched these daring souls JUMP into the bobbing little boat! It is truly amazing to watch.

I remember once hearing that sound on an Alaska cruise. I was in one of the lounges late at night, and I ran out onto the deck to watch the events unfold. The night was pitch black and the seas were rough. But the pilot jumped into that little boat as it bobbed like a cork in that icy cold water! Definitely not a job for the faint of heart!

This time the pilot had already disembarked when I began to watch. (That’s the Miami skyline in the background.) The photos are somewhat blurry because I took them through the thick glass of our porthole. Those portholes don’t open…and for good reason!

Seeing that Pilot Boat made me realize how much I have missed the sights and sounds associated with the entire onboard experience of cruising.

I remained kneeling on our bed for a long time…watching that tiny boat return to Miami.

And then I began to think about another onboard memory I was anxious to revive.

DINNER!