Each member of the Puget Sound Pilots is a skilled, veteran mariner with decades of experience navigating the waters of Puget Sound. In fact, to become a pilot an applicant must have at least two to four years of experience as the captain of an ocean-going vessel, tug boat, passenger ferry, or a military vessel.

In addition, the applicant must hold an unrestricted federal pilotage endorsement certifying familiarity with local waters. Earning this endorsement requires at least 18 months of bridge experience on local waterways. In practice, this has taken an average of three to five years, because potential applicants must get this experience off the clock, away from their seagoing jobs. In addition, the endorsement requires that pilots be able to draw navigational charts of local waterways from memory, including written descriptions of land masses and hazards.

Pilots must also pass a comprehensive state exam, demonstrate ship-handling skills on a simulator, complete a seven-month training program, and undergo five to six years of restricted operation as a pilot before receiving an unrestricted pilot's license.

Our pilots are members of the International Organization of Masters, Mates and Pilots, the International Marine Division of the International Longshoremen's Association, AFL-CIO.