Introduction and overview of China’s pilot training regime

When operating in confined waters such as ports, channels and canals, the ship’s master may not be familiar with the specific and up-to-date navigating conditions such as wind, current and tide. In this case, the master must rely on the knowledge and experience of local experts, the seaport and river pilots, to ensure the safety of the ship, crew and environment. This paper provides an overview of the initial and periodic training required by pilots directed by the China Maritime Safety Administration in accordance with IMO’s A.960 “Recommendation on Training and Certification and Operational Procedure Maritime Pilot Other Than Deep-Sea Pilot” and China’s pilot training requirements. The paper then goes into details describing how pilot training is implemented in Dalian Maritime University (DMU), taking into account the course setting, class hour arrangement, theory and practical class distribution of different class pilots, as well as examining the equipment requirements, trainer’s qualification, and trainee’s seagoing experiences. Based on the results of the China’s pilot training regime, recommendations will be made not only for improving China’s pilot training program, but also where DMU’s best practices may be implemented at other institutions engaged in pilot professional development.