When a pilot arrives on the navigating bridge of a ship and  the words “At the orders of the master on the advice of the pilot” appear in the logbook, the legal relationship between the pilot and the master is established.

The role of the pilot is to assist the captain by providing local expertise and providing timely advice during the passage of the vessel. The pilot should follow internationals rules and standards in order to bring the vessels alongside in safety mode, using all navigational aids, tugs, boats and complementary equipement.

In confined waters, the workload increases at the bridge, time and margins of error are reduced, port activity and traffic intense, and the consequences of an incident or an error in judgment would be considerable . Local and specialist knowledge of ship handling approaching ports is required.

The International Code of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping Standards for Seafarers code STCW78/95, revised by the Manila Accords in 2010, specifies that the presence of a pilot on board does not relieve the captain of his duties and of its obligations with regard to the safety of the vessel. In practice, it is the pilot who takes charge of the ship, after having exchanged information with the captain on the navigation procedures, the local conditions and the characteristics of the ship.

Ports and Harbours employ marine Pilots to ensure the safe navigation of ships in their waters. Pilots board ships entering or exiting the port or harbour, and navigate them safely in and out avoiding submerged rocks and other hazards. This is a physically demanding role, where Marine Pilots are required to board moving vessels from small high powered launches, often in rough seas. This can involve climbing high ladders to access ship decks.

This can also be a tense role, where Pilots may be faced with high risk cargoes, poor maneuverability, and communication difficulties, so the ability to remain calm under pressure will be a sought after quality. Due to the 24-hour nature of the work there is often an on-call requirement for Pilots and shift or weekend work is likely.