europilots-page9

During World War 2 many pilots were employed assisting convoys of ships up and down the East Coast of the United Kingdom through minefields and shoal waters devoid of many navigational marks. They continued this work after peace was declared with demand for their services increasing as trade resumed.
......... George Hammond Shipping of Dover took over the day-to-day management of many of these pilots in 1944 thereby becoming the main Agency where Owners and Masters could retain the services of North Sea Pilots.
......... Around 1950 five of these pilots became dissatisfied with the management of the service and set up a rival operation that became known as Deep Sea and Coastal Pilots. One of their number, Captain L.Hutchinson, took on the administration.
......... By the early 1970's both groups were unsettled - ad-hoc management, numerous Pilotage Rates, choice pilotage, District pilots offering their services in their spare time, Agencies giving work to all manner of persons, etc. In addition Rules and Regulations were being drafted affecting the livelihood of North Sea Pilots without any consultation taking place. Infighting, discounting of rates, touting for business by cables and telexes to ships bound for Europe proliferated.
......... A meeting was held in 1973 where pilots from the two main Agencies decided to form an Association. It was hoped that a few of the afore-mentioned problems could be solved. A Committee of six formed the Officers of the Association, three from each Agency. A Rule Book was drawn up, membership list compiled, bank account opened and subscription fee set. The first Chairman was Captain W.Campbell. The Officers of the Association were Captains May, Dixon, Mallam, Bruin.
......... Problems and age old rifts appeared but progress was made. Captain May replaced Captain Campbell in 1974 and membership reached 60 by 1978. In 1974 the Association took the name EUROPILOTS to reflect its main aims - one North Sea and Baltic Pilotage Service, one tariff, one voice with which to meet the North Sea Pilotage Commision and the Baltic Pilotage Commission. [These two Commissions were empowered by the Governments of the Coastal States bordering the North Sea and The Baltic to produce "Rules for the Good Government of North Sea and Baltic Pilotage". The United Kingdom was represented by London Trinity House who in turn represented the other two Trinity Houses (Hull and Newcastle) and the Clyde and Forth Pilotage Commissions].
......... The European District Pilots formed EMPA (The European Maritime Pilots Association) in 1970 in order to haver a collective voice for pilots; from this IMPA was formed to have a world wide voice for pilots with access to the IMO.
......... To have access to any of these groups, who were all becoming involved in Sea Pilotage, Europilots needed access to their National Association of pilots - the UKPA. This Association (UKPA) held the key to the future of Europilots for, without membership, access to EMPA, IMPA, Brussels etc. was all but impossible.
......... In 1978 the two Pilotage Commissions produced two sets of "Rules for the Good Government of Pilotage in the North Sea and the Baltic" The Rules covered a wide spectrum - examination of pilots, qualifications, areas of operation, I.D. cards, examining Authorities etc. Europilots was able to have access to the draft copies of these Rules through the offices of London Trinity House.
......... Repeated attempts to gain recognition by the UKPA as an 'Association of Pilots' failed and with it access to the UK Safety of Navigation Committee and to the two Pilotage Commissions. Brussels was showing interest in the North Sea but the 'door was closed' to Europilots. Eventually, in 1981, the UKPA voted to accept Europilots as members thereby also giving membership to EMPA and IMPA.
......... Unfortunately the two Commissions had already agreed to separate the North Sea and the Baltic into two areas each with pilots licensed for one or the other but not both. On January 1st. 1982 the dividing line was drawn from Skagen (the Skaw) and Vinga (Gothenburg pilot station) and from that date UK Deep Sea Pilot Licences ceased to be valid in the Baltic. This division forcibly resolved many problems in Sea Pilotage and brought to the fore the need for access to government bodies, commissions etc. who were all becoming involved in off-shore pilotage.
......... To help resolve other long seated problems the UK Government set up the Pilotage Commission in the early eighties. This time Europilots had access and was able to state its aims, interests etc.
......... By 1990 the three Commissions had completed and forcibly resolved many of the problems in Pilotage and all three ceased to exist.
...... ...In recent years Europilots has aimed at a European Pilotage Association thereby bringing together all National interests. Europilots has had many achievements in a quarter of a century but unfortunately has failed to resolve one of the aims set down in 1973 i.e. one group of UK Deep Sea Pilots with one Agency.

by Captain R.S.Butler, Deep Sea Pilot
{former Europilots Secretary and Chairman}
October 2000.

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