The ship’s master is charged with the responsibility for the...

The ship’s master is charged with the responsibility for the safe of the ship; pilots are engaged to assist with navigation in confined waters and to facilitate port approach, berthing and departure. The master has the ultimate responsibility and has the right and obligation to take over from the pilot in the rare event of the pilot’s inexperience or misjudgement. However in compulsory pilotage areas the pilot will expect to be responsible for the navigational conduct of the vessel. In practice, the master may find himself in a situation where he is not satisfied with the way the passage is being conducted by the pilot, yet is in no position to even query the pilot’s action as he, the master, has no idea as to what should be happening. The master may not be aware of the area, and the pilot may not be aware of the peculiarities of the ship. According to Swift & Bailey, in the book “Bridge Team Management”, these problems can be minimized by: