Puget Sound Pilots | Protecting Puget Sound Since 1935

Our Mission

Puget Sound Pilots’ mission is to ensure against the loss of lives, loss of or damage to property and vessels, and to protect the marine environment by maintaining efficient and competent pilotage service on our State’s inland waters within the Puget Sound Pilotage District. PSP members are highly skilled, specially trained vessel captains who board oil tankers, cargo vessels and cruise ships to guide them safely through Puget Sound waters. Our pilots are independent professionals who work on behalf of the citizens of Washington State.

What We Do

Circa 100 AD Roman law requires that a captain take a pilot or be responsible for any damages his ship might cause.

1935 Puget Sound Pilots established.

2018 Puget Sound Pilots celebrates 150 years of Washington’s pilotage act.

Announcements

Puget Sound Pilots Implement Maternity Policy

PSP believes a strong maternity policy will help to achieve its DEI goal of establishing safe, inclusive, and equitable pathways for a career in pilotage.

Welcome New PSP Dispatcher

PSP is delighted to welcome Monte Crowley to our dispatch team. Monte is a lifelong Washingtonian, born and raised in Everett/Lake Stevens. He began his Maritime career in 1995 with Foss Maritime as Senior customer service rep/dispatcher. Over 27+ years at Foss, Monte...

Safety News

Quiet Sound aims to expand efforts to protect endangered orcas from marine traffic

Underwater noise from vessel traffic is one of the key threats to Puget Sound’s endangered orca population. It interferes with the killer whales’ ability to find increasingly scarce salmon. A new initiative is underway to alert ship operators when whales are near so they can slow down.

A recommendation from Gov. Jay Inslee’s Orca Recovery Task Force led to the creation of Quiet Sound. The program — part of the Port of Seattle-funded nonprofit Maritime Blue — is working to expand voluntary participation in a whale report alert system that’s already used in Canada and by Washington State Ferries. It’s an app that can be used on a smartphone or a desktop computer.