Pilotage Order
[20 October 1972]
(Format changes—E.R. 2 of 2014)
This order may be cited as the Pilotage Order.
In this order—
registered apprentice pilot (登記見習領港員) means an apprentice pilot whose name appears in the register maintained under paragraph 3(1).The Authority shall maintain a register of apprentice pilots.
A person applying for registration as an apprentice pilot shall hold a Certificate of Competency (Deck Officer) Class 1 (Master Mariner) issued or deemed to be issued under the relevant regulation made under the Merchant Shipping (Seafarers) Ordinance (Cap. 478) or a licence accepted as equivalent to that certificate by that regulation. (44 of 1995 s. 143; 12 of 2022 s. 13)
A person applying for a licence shall—
be a registered apprentice pilot; and
have the appropriate experience specified in Schedule 1 gained within a period of not less than 6 months and not more than 12 months or such longer period as may be allowed by the Authority after consultation with the Pilotage Advisory Committee. (L.N. 101 of 1982)
The classes of pilotage shall be those specified in column 2 of Schedule 2 and the pilotage service which may be carried out shall be that specified opposite thereto in column 3 of that Schedule.
For the purposes of section 8(2)(a) of the Ordinance, the experience required for amendment of the licence for each class of pilotage specified in column 2 of Schedule 3 shall be that specified opposite thereto in column 3 of that Schedule. (L.N. 120 of 2016)
The Authority may refuse to recognize as specified experience any experience which is not recorded by a pilot in a book provided by the Authority for that purpose. (L.N. 101 of 1982)
For the purposes of section 8(2)(a) of the Ordinance, the examination for the classes of pilotage shall be as required by the Authority after consultation with the Pilotage Advisory Committee.
A registered apprentice pilot shall keep a record of training in a book provided by the Authority for that purpose and when a registered apprentice pilot has accompanied a licensed pilot on any occasion specified in Schedule 1 the licensed pilot shall certify therein particulars of such occasion.
(Repealed 12 of 2022 s. 14)
The rate of remuneration of a registered apprentice pilot must be not less than $15,000 per month which is to be payable by the person who has recruited the registered apprentice pilot.
(L.N. 191 of 1980; L.N. 101 of 1982; L.N. 431 of 1984; L.N. 446 of 1990; 2 of 2013 s. 11)
Schedules 2 and 3 to the pre-amended Order continue to apply to a person who is a licensed pilot immediately before 23 December 2016 as if section 7 of the Pilotage (Amendment) Order 2016 had not been made.
In this paragraph—
pre-amended Order (《修訂前命令》) means this Order in force immediately before 23 December 2016.The applicant must have accompanied a licensed pilot—
during the pilotage of a ship to or from an anchorage on at least 20 occasions, of which at least 10 must have commenced during the hours between sunset and sunrise;
during the pilotage of ship to a mooring on at least 40 occasions, of which at least 20 must have commenced during the hours between sunset and sunrise;
during the pilotage of a ship from a mooring on at least 25 occasions, of which at least 12 must have commenced during the hours between sunset and sunrise;
on at least 2 occasions when a ship was being piloted while the ship was rounding Hong Kong Island; (L.N. 120 of 2016)
during the pilotage of a container ship exceeding 250 metres in length through Ma Wan channel on at least 5 occasions, of which at least 2 must have commenced during the hours between sunset and sunrise;
on at least 4 occasions when a ship was being piloted outside the harbour for the purpose of—
compass adjustment; or
speed trials or engine trials; (L.N. 120 of 2016)
during the pilotage of a ship on at least the number of occasions specified in the third column of the following Table 1 when the ship was being berthed, unberthed, docked or undocked at or from the wharves, berths or docks specified in the second column of that Table; and (L.N. 120 of 2016)
during the pilotage of a naval ship to or from an anchorage or a mooring on at least 4 occasions.
| Item | Wharf/Berth/Dock | Number of Occasions | |||||
| 1. | Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon— | ||||||
| Ocean Terminal Wharf— | |||||||
| South Berth— | } | (a) | 4 berthings and 4 unberthings (of which 1 berthing and 1 unberthing must have commenced during the hours between sunset and sunrise) of a ship of any length at any of these berths; and | ||||
| (Inner) | |||||||
| (Outer) | |||||||
| North Berth— | |||||||
| (b) | 1 berthing and 1 unberthing of a ship of any length at South (Inner) when another ship of any length was occupying South (Outer), or 1 berthing and 1 unberthing of a ship exceeding 200 metres in length at any of these berths. | ||||||
| 2. | Kwai Chung— | ||||||
| Container Terminal Wharf— | |||||||
| Berth No. 1 Berth No. 2 Berth No. 3 Berth No. 4 Berth No. 5 Berth No. 8 Berth No. 9 Berth No. 15 Berth No. 16 Berth No. 17 Berth No. 18 Berth No. 19 Berth No. 20 | } | 2 berthings and 2 unberthings (of which 1 berthing and 1 unberthing must have commenced during the hours between sunset and sunrise) of a ship of any length at each berth, and 1 berthing and 1 unberthing of a ship exceeding 275 metres in length at each berth. | |||||
| Berth No. 6 Berth No. 7 Berth No. 10 Berth No. 11 Berth No. 12 Berth No. 13 Berth No. 14 | } | 3 berthings and 3 unberthings (of which 1 berthing and 1 unberthing must have commenced during the hours between sunset and sunrise) of a ship exceeding 168 metres in length at each berth when another ship of the same length or longer was occupying part of the berth. | |||||
| 3. | (Repealed L.N. 283 of 1998) | ||||||
| 4. | Tsing Yi Island— | ||||||
| Petroleum Wharves— | |||||||
| (ExxonMobil, West) (ExxonMobil, East) (Chevron) (Sinopec main berth) (Shell main berth) | } | 4 berthings and 3 unberthings of a ship of any length at each of these berths. | |||||
| (Sinopec, east inner berth, west inner berth and No. 3 berth) | } | 6 berthings and 6 unberthings of a ship of any length at any of these berths. | |||||
| (Shell inner LPG berth) (Chevron LPG berth) | } | 2 berthings and 2 unberthings of a ship of any length at each of these berths. | |||||
| H.K. United Dockyards Seawalls Wharf | 1 berthing and 1 unberthing of a ship of any length. | ||||||
| Euro-Asia Seawall Yiu Lian Seawall | } | 1 berthing and 1 unberthing of a ship of any length at each berth. | |||||
| Floating Docks— | |||||||
| (United) (Yiu Lian No. 1) (Yiu Lian No. 3) | } | 2 dockings and 2 undockings of a ship of any length at one or more of these docks. | |||||
| 5. | (Repealed 2 of 2013 s. 12) | ||||||
| 6. | Lok On Pai | 1 berthing and 1 unberthing of a ship of any length. | |||||
| 7. | Tap Shek Kok— | ||||||
| Power Station Terminal Wharf | 5 berthing and 5 unberthings of a ship exceeding 168 metres in length, with at least 2 of such berthings being starboard side alongside when direct inbound from Green Island. | ||||||
| China Cement Company Wharf Shiu Wing Steel Wharf | } | 5 berthings and 5 unberthings of a ship exceeding 168 metres in length at any of these wharves. | |||||
| Permanent Aviation Fuel Facility | (a) | 3 berthings and 3 unberthings of a ship of any length; and | |||||
| (b) | 1 berthing and 1 unberthing of a ship exceeding 168 metres in length when another ship of the same length or longer was occupying part of the berth. | ||||||
| 8. | Lamma Island— | ||||||
| Po Lo Tsui— | |||||||
| Power Station Terminal Wharf | 3 berthings and 3 unberthings (of which 1 berthing and 1 unberthing must have commenced during the hours between sunset and sunrise) of a ship exceeding 168 metres in length; and 1 berthing and 1 unberthing of a ship exceeding 168 metres in length when another ship of the same length or longer was occupying part of the berth. | ||||||
| 9. | Hong Kong Island— | ||||||
| Kennedy Town— | |||||||
| China Merchant Wharf | 1 berthing and 1 unberthing of a ship of any length. | ||||||
| 10. | Tai Po— | ||||||
| Town Gas Wharf | 1 berthing and 1 unberthing of a ship of any length. | ||||||
| 11. | Kowloon City, Kowloon— | ||||||
| Kai Tak Cruise Terminal— | |||||||
| Berth No. 1 Berth No. 2 | } | 1 berthing at flood tide and 1 berthing at ebb tide of a ship of any length at any of these berths. | |||||
| 12. | Junk Bay— | ||||||
| ASB Biodiesel Terminal | 1 berthing at flood tide and 1 berthing at ebb tide of a ship of any length. | ||||||
The applicant must have been an observer on a tug specified in the second column of the following Table 2 on at least the number of occasions specified in the third column of that Table when the tug was attending a ship and performing a towage berthing, unberthing, docking or undocking service.
| Item | Type of Tug | Number of Occasions | |
| 1. | Duck-peller/Z-peller type with engine power of 4 000 hp or above. | 5 | |
| 2. | Duck-peller/Z-peller type with engine power of 2 000 hp or above. | 20 | |
| 3. | Single screw conventional type with engine power less than 1 000 hp. | 5 |
The applicant must have been an observer on the wharves or berths specified in the second column of the following Table 3 on at least the number of occasions specified in the third column of that Table.
Table 3
| Item | Wharf/Berth | Number of Occasions | |||||
| 1. | Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon— | ||||||
| Ocean Terminal Wharf— | |||||||
| South Berth North Berth | } | 1 berthing at flood tide and 1 berthing at ebb tide of a ship of any length at both of these berths. | |||||
| 2. | Kwai Chung— | ||||||
| Container Terminal Wharf— | |||||||
| Berth No. 1 Berth No. 2 Berth No. 3 Berth No. 4 Berth No. 8 Berth No. 9 Berth No. 15 Berth No. 16 Berth No. 17 Berth No. 18 Berth No. 19 Berth No. 20 | } | 1 berthing of a ship of any length at each berth. | |||||
| Berth No. 5 Berth No. 6 Berth No. 7 Berth No. 10 Berth No. 11 Berth No. 12 Berth No. 13 Berth No. 14 | } | 1 berthing at flood tide and 1 berthing at ebb tide of a ship of any length at each berth. | |||||
| 3. | Tsing Yi Island— | ||||||
| H.K. United Dockyards Seawalls Wharf Yiu Lian Seawalls Wharf | } | 2 berthings and 2 unberthings of a ship of any length at each wharf. | |||||
The applicant must have been an observer on a mooring boat on at least 5 occasions when the boat was attending a ship being secured to a mooring.
The applicant must have been attached to the Marine Department for at least 2 weeks.
(L.N. 292 of 1992; L.N. 118 of 1996; L.N. 283 of 1998; 2 of 2013 s. 12; L.N. 120 of 2016)
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
| Item | Class | Pilotage service |
| 1. | IIF | Pilotage of ships not exceeding 160 metres in length |
| 2. | IIE | Pilotage of ships not exceeding 180 metres in length |
| 3. | IID | Pilotage of ships not exceeding 210 metres in length |
| 4. | IIC | Pilotage of ships not exceeding 250 metres in length |
| 5. | IIB | Pilotage of ships not exceeding 300 metres in length |
| 6. | IIA | Pilotage of ships not exceeding 350 metres in length |
| 7. | I | Pilotage of ships of any length |
(Schedule 2 replaced 12 of 2022 s. 15)
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 | ||
| Item | Class of pilotage | Experience required | ||
| 1. | From IIF to IIE | (a)A minimum of 12 months continuous experience in Class IIF. | ||
| (b)Pilotage of ships exceeding 107 metres and not exceeding 160 metres in length to or from buoys or anchorages on at least 10 occasions, of which at least 5 must commence during the hours between sunset and sunrise. | ||||
| (c)Berthing or unberthing of ships exceeding 107 metres and not exceeding 160 metres in length to or from wharves, berths, docks or piers on at least 20 occasions, of which at least 10 must commence during the hours between sunset and sunrise. | ||||
| 2. | From IIE to IID | (a)A minimum of 12 months continuous experience in Class IIE. | ||
| (b)Pilotage of ships exceeding 160 metres and not exceeding 180 metres in length to or from buoys or anchorages on at least 10 occasions, of which at least 5 must commence during the hours between sunset and sunrise. | ||||
| (c)Berthing or unberthing of ships exceeding 160 metres and not exceeding 180 metres in length to or from wharves, berths, docks or piers on at least 20 occasions, of which at least 10 must commence during the hours between sunset and sunrise. | ||||
| 3. | From IID to IIC | (a)A minimum of 12 months continuous experience in Class IID. | ||
| (b)Pilotage of ships exceeding 180 metres and not exceeding 210 metres in length to or from buoys or anchorages on at least 10 occasions, of which at least 5 must commence during the hours between sunset and sunrise. | ||||
| (c)Berthing or unberthing of ships exceeding 180 metres and not exceeding 210 metres in length to or from wharves, berths, docks or piers on at least 20 occasions, of which at least 10 must commence during the hours between sunset and sunrise. | ||||
| 4. | From IIC to IIB | (a)A minimum of 12 months continuous experience in Class IIC. | ||
| (b)Pilotage of ships exceeding 210 metres and not exceeding 250 metres in length to or from buoys or anchorages on at least 10 occasions, of which at least 5 must commence during the hours between sunset and sunrise. | ||||
| (c)Berthing or unberthing of ships exceeding 210 metres and not exceeding 250 metres in length to or from wharves, berths, docks or piers on at least 20 occasions, of which at least 10 must commence during the hours between sunset and sunrise. | ||||
| 5. | From IIB to IIA | (a)A minimum of 12 months continuous experience in Class IIB. | ||
| (b)Pilotage of ships exceeding 250 metres and not exceeding 300 metres in length to or from buoys or anchorages on at least 10 occasions, of which at least 5 must commence during the hours between sunset and sunrise. | ||||
| (c)Berthing or unberthing of ships exceeding 250 metres and not exceeding 300 metres in length to or from wharves, berths, docks or piers on at least 20 occasions, of which at least 10 must commence during the hours between sunset and sunrise. | ||||
| 6. | From IIA to I | (a)A minimum of 12 months continuous experience in Class IIA. | ||
| (b)Pilotage of ships exceeding 300 metres and not exceeding 350 metres in length to or from buoys or anchorages on at least 10 occasions, of which at least 5 must commence during the hours between sunset and sunrise. | ||||
| (c)Berthing or unberthing of ships exceeding 300 metres and not exceeding 350 metres in length to or from wharves, berths, docks or piers on at least 20 occasions, of which at least 10 must commence during the hours between sunset and sunrise. | ||||
(Schedule 3 replaced L.N. 120 of 2016)