Limitations on new pilots.
(1) The following limitations and pilot license upgrade requirements shall apply to a newly licensed pilot during their first five years of active service. For purposes of this section, the term "tank vessel" shall, in addition to tank ships, include any articulated or integrated tug and tank barge combinations, and any tonnage restrictions thereon shall be calculated by including the gross tonnage of the tug and tank barge combined. For purposes of this section, the term "petroleum products" shall include crude oil, refined products, liquefied natural gas, and liquefied petroleum gas. GT (ITC) as used in this section refers to gross tonnages measured in accordance with the requirements of the 1969 International Convention on Tonnage Measurement of Ships.
(2) Puget Sound pilotage district - License limitation periods. Except for trips being made for pilot license upgrades, licenses issued in the Puget Sound pilotage district shall have the following limitations:
License Year | Maximum Size of Tank Vessels Carrying Petroleum Products as Bulk Cargo | Maximum Size of Other Vessels | Waterways |
1 | Piloting on vessels of any size prohibited | 38,000 GT (ITC) except for passenger vessels which may only have a maximum size of 5000 GT (ITC) | Prohibited in the Duwamish Waterway on vessels greater than 3,000 GT |
2 | 32,000 GT (ITC) | 48,000 GT (ITC) | No restrictions |
3 | 40,000 GT (ITC) | 60,000 GT (ITC) | No restrictions |
4 | 50,000 GT (ITC) | 70,000 GT (ITC) | No restrictions |
5 | 65,000 GT (ITC) | 95,000 GT (ITC) | No restrictions |
(3) Puget Sound pilotage district - Pilot license upgrade requirements. Progressive lifting of tonnage limitations requires a newly licensed pilot to satisfactorily pilot vessels on the trips specified in this section. The trainee evaluation committee shall recommend to the board a series of trips to be made by each pilot in the last 180 days of each year of the license limitation periods specified in subsection (2) of this section. As to these trips, the trainee evaluation committee shall specify the size and type of the vessel; origin and destination, whether the transit is to include a docking, waterway transit or other particular maneuvering requirement, whether any tank vessel trips are to be made while in ballast or loaded and whether the trip shall be taken with training pilots, trainee evaluation committee member pilots or pilots with a specified experience level. To the extent practical, the trips shall be on vessels of at least a size that falls between the upper limit in the expiring license limitation and the upper limit in the upcoming license limitation period. All of these trips shall be complete trips between one port and another port, between the pilot station and a port, or harbor shifts. The supervising pilots shall complete and submit to the board a familiarization form provided by the board for each trip a new pilot performs.
(4) Grays Harbor pilotage district - License limitation periods. Pilots licensed in the Grays Harbor pilotage district shall not pilot vessels in violation of the restrictions set forth in the table below during the indicated license year.
License Year | Maximum Size of Tank Vessels Carrying Petroleum Products as Bulk Cargo | Maximum Size of Other Vessels |
1 | Piloting on vessels of any size prohibited | 32,000 GT (ITC) except that piloting on vessels of any size is prohibited through the Chehalis River Bridge unless vessel is in ballast and does not exceed 25,000 GT (ITC) |
2 | 15,000 GT (ITC) | 42,000 GT (ITC) |
3 | 32,000 GT (ITC) | 52,000 GT (ITC) |
4 | 42,000 GT (ITC) | 62,000 GT (ITC) |
5 | 52,000 GT (ITC) | 72,000 GT (ITC) |
Notwithstanding subsection (7) of this section, upon determination that a bona fide safety concern may result from no pilot without license restrictions being available within a reasonable time to pilot a vessel requiring pilotage services, the chairperson or acting chairperson of the board, on a single trip basis, may authorize a newly licensed pilot holding a restricted license to provide pilotage services to the vessel, irrespective of the tonnage, service or location of the assigned berth of the vessel.
(5) Grays Harbor pilotage district - Pilot license upgrade requirements - Progressive lifting of tonnage limitations requires a newly licensed pilot to satisfactorily pilot vessels on the trips specified in this section. The trainee evaluation committee shall recommend to the board a series of trips to be made by each pilot in the last 180 days of each year of the license limitation periods specified in subsection (4) of this section. As to these trips, the trainee evaluation committee shall specify the size and type of the vessel; origin and destination, whether the transit is to include a docking, waterway transit or other particular maneuvering requirement, whether any tank vessel trips are to be made while in ballast or loaded and whether the trip shall be taken with training pilots, trainee evaluation committee member pilots or pilots with a specified experience level. To the extent practical, the trips shall be on vessels of at least a size that falls between the upper limit in the expiring license limitation and the upper limit in the upcoming license limitation period. All of these trips shall be complete trips between one port and another port, between the pilot station and a port, or harbor shifts. The supervising pilots shall complete and submit to the board a familiarization form provided by the board for each trip a new pilot performs.
If vessels are not available in the Grays Harbor pilotage district to allow a pilot to comply with this subsection in a timely manner, the board may designate substitute trips in the Puget Sound pilotage district as allowed by law and in so doing may specify the size of the vessel and any other characteristics of the trips that the board deems appropriate. Such designation shall be considered a modification of the pilot's state license to authorize the specified trips in the Puget Sound pilotage district.
(6) The initial license shall contain the limitations contained above and list the date of commencement and expiration of such periods. If a newly licensed pilot is unable to pilot for 45 days or more in any one of the five years the trainee evaluation committee may put a hold on the upgrade program. Upon the newly licensed pilot's return to the program, the trainee evaluation committee may prescribe an extension.
(7) Except as provided in subsection (4) of this section, no pilot shall be dispatched to, or accept an assignment on, any vessel which exceeds the limitations of their license. On vessels in which there is more than one pilot assigned, the license limitations shall apply only to the pilot in charge.
(8) All limitations on a pilot's license shall be lifted at the beginning of the sixth year of piloting provided they have submitted to the board a statement attesting to the fact that the pilot has completed all the required license upgrade trips and the vessel simulator courses.
(9) Whenever the governor issues a proclamation declaring a state of emergency, the board may determine whether there is a threat to trainees, pilots, vessel crews, or members of the public. Notwithstanding the other provisions of this chapter, the board, at its discretion, may suspend or adjust the pilot training program during the pendency of a state of emergency lawfully declared by the governor.
[Statutory Authority: Chapter
88.16 RCW. WSR 22-22-016, § 363-116-082, filed 10/21/22, effective 11/21/22; WSR 20-12-065, § 363-116-082, filed 6/1/20, effective 7/2/20; WSR 19-06-007, § 363-116-082, filed 2/22/19, effective 3/25/19; WSR 15-04-136, § 363-116-082, filed 2/4/15, effective 3/7/15. Statutory Authority: Chapter
88.16 RCW and 2008 c 128. WSR 08-15-119, § 363-116-082, filed 7/21/08, effective 8/21/08. Statutory Authority: RCW
88.16.105 and
88.16.035. WSR 07-17-148, § 363-116-082, filed 8/21/07, effective 9/21/07. Statutory Authority: Chapter
88.16 RCW and 2005 c 26. WSR 05-18-021, § 363-116-082, filed 8/29/05, effective 10/1/05. Statutory Authority: RCW
88.16.105 and
88.16.035. WSR 05-04-028, § 363-116-082, filed 1/26/05, effective 2/26/05. Statutory Authority: RCW
88.16.105. WSR 99-08-003, § 363-116-082, filed 3/25/99, effective 4/25/99; WSR 97-14-032, § 363-116-082, filed 6/25/97, effective 7/26/97. WSR 97-08-042, recodified as § 363-116-082, filed 3/28/97, effective 3/28/97. Statutory Authority: RCW
88.16.035 and
88.16.105. WSR 93-09-016, § 296-116-082, filed 4/14/93, effective 5/15/93. Statutory Authority: RCW
88.16.105. WSR 92-24-056, § 296-116-082, filed 11/30/92, effective 12/31/92; WSR 92-08-051, § 296-116-082, filed 3/26/92, effective 4/26/92; WSR 89-18-063 (Order 89-6, Resolution No. 89-6), § 296-116-082, filed 9/1/89, effective 10/2/89; WSR 89-11-060 (Order 89-5, Resolution No. 89-5), § 296-116-082, filed 5/18/89. Statutory Authority: RCW
88.16.035. WSR 80-03-081 (Order 79-6, Resolution No. 79-6), § 296-116-082, filed 3/4/80.]
