Syllabus

Syllabus for Pilot’s Licence and Pilotage Certificate between Les Escoumins and Montreal

The provisions of the Pilotage Act, the General Pilotage Regulations and the Laurentian Pilotage Authority Regulations set out in details the conditions which have to be met by the candidates to obtain pilot's licences or pilotage certificates. The following applies to candidates who already comply with the provisions of the above-noted Regulations, who have the navigational experience described hereunder and are now ready to submit themselves to pilotage examinations.

The present Syllabus applies only to the candidates who meet the following criterias and whose application has been accepted by the Board of Examiners and the Authority.

Candidates for pilotage certificates:

a) District No. 1.1:

The candidate must have served as master on board ship for at least two years while navigating in the District, be a regular member of the complement of the ship and have effected at least 20 movages including 6 movages between the 1st of December and the 8th of April following.

b) District Nos. 1 and 2:

The candidate must have served for a year as master on board ship or at least three years as a first mate officer while navigating in the appropriate District, and be a regular member of the complement of the ship.

Candidates for pilot's licences in Districts Nos. 1.1, 1 and 2 must have served as master on board ship or as deck watch officer.

1. Chartwork, tides and practical use of radar and other aids

1.1 Knowledge of GPS, DGPS, ECDIS, AIS, RACON RADAR and ARPA: basic principles, use limitations, accuracy and error of the system.

1.2 Demonstrate the practicle knowledge of the tide and current tables, the minimal underkeel clearance at a given time and location in relation to a port of reference and / or a secondary port.

2. Vessel performance in confined and restricted channels, ship handling and anchoring

2.1 A general knowledge of a vessel behaviour in restricted waters due to squat, deep draft, poor stability taking into account the following factors: vessel’s speed, bow cushion, stern suction and shallow water effect.

2.2 Interaction of vessels meeting and overtaking in restricted and confined channels and with a minimum underkeel clearance.

2.3 Consequence of the heel or list on the draft and calculation of the draft increase.

2.4 Vessels stopping and turning distances, factors involved. Method of stopping and turning in confined and restricted channels. Emergency manoeuvres.

2.5 General knowledge of various types of ship propulsion, propellers, advantages and drawbacks of each during manœuvres.

2.6 Knowledge on the use and operation of different types of rudders and various manual, automatic and emergency steering apparatus.

2.7 Practical knowledge on the use of tugs during manoeuvres for berthing and getting under way. Types of propulsion and behavior of tows.

3. Meteorology and winter navigation

3.1 Procedure to follow when navigating in ice alone or in convoy.

3.2 Practical knowledge of ice movement in a pilotage district.

3.3 General knowledge of Canadian Coast-Guard TP 5064O “Navigation in Ice in Canadian Waters”

3.4 Notions of meteorology relating to a pilotage district for each season and knowledge of its micro-climates.

4. Legislations, regulations and publications

4.1 Pilotage Act - Chapter P-14.

4.2 General Pilotage Regulations - Chapter 1263.

4.3 Laurentian Pilotage Authority Regulations - Chapter 1268.

4.4 Laurentian Pilotage Authority Tariff Regulations.

4.5 Collision Regulations - Chapter 1416.

4.6 Aids to Navigation Protection Regulations - Chapter 1403.

4.7 Pilot Ladder Regulations - Re: Notices to Mariners, Annual Edition, TP 390E.

4.8 Pilot Ladder Regulations, Item 1-6 and 14 - Re: Notices to Mariners, Annual Edition, TP 390E.

4.9 Regulation 17, Chapter V of the Unternational Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, 1974 - Re: Notices to Mariners, Annual Edition, TP 390 E.

4.10 Shipping Casualties Reporting Regulations - Chapter 1478.

4.11 Vessel Traffic Services Regulations (Section 562.16, Canada Shipping Act).

4.12 Public harbours regulations and ports Canada regulations.

Note: Except for the Collision Regulations that require a thorough and in?depth knowledge, a candidate must possess at least a general knowledge of the laws and regulations listed above, as to the nature and context to which they may be correctly applied when so required.

5. Local knowledge

5.1 General topography and boundaries of the district. Includes a general knowledge of the outline of the coast and channels and in particular:

length and limits of the district
Cities, towns, villages and ports
Channels, their lengths, depths at datum,widths
ports and channels leading into
recommended safe anchorages
buoyage system and types of aids
Vessel traffic services
speed restrictions
ice and fog hazards
tides, their duration and heights throughout the district; tidal streams and currents, their direction and velocity throughout the district at all stages of the tide
overhead and underwater cables; bridges and ferries

5.2 Courses and distances. Includes knowledge of:

Course to steer and distances from a point to another throughout the district
Courses to be made good and time to run throughout the district, account being given to tides and tidal streams and currents; courses should lead clear of natural obstruction within the 15-metre depth contour line and clear of oncoming traffic (notion of narrow-channel navigation)
courses to be made good and distances from main channel to ports and anchorages

5.3 Lights with distances and bearings. Includes knowledge of :

Location
characteristics
range of visibility
bearing of lights and buoys from positions and courses within the channel limits

5.4 Official clearing marks and main beacons and shallows. Includes knowledge of:

clearing marks shown on the chart and leading a line clear of obstructions to navigation and indicating positions of vessel along that line
clearing lines of two (2) conspicuous objects leading clear of obstruction to navigation and indicating positions of vessel along that line
clearing bearings on lights, buoys, structures and objects to lead clear of obstructions to navigation
the knowledge of clearing marks, lines and bearings is applied:
- a) to establish position of vessel
- b) to keep to the right-hand side of the channel and clear of oncoming traffic
- c) to effect change of courses by use of two (2) or more such marks, lines and bearings in conjunction

5.5 Knowledge of tides and local currents. Includes:

the determination of the depth of water available at different stages of the tide and the time of change of the tidal flow in all parts of the district
the direction and velocity of local currents, given the different stages of the tide
allowances to be made on courses and speed to counteract set and drift

5.6 Aids to navigation. Includes knowledge of:

buoyage system in effect in district
location and characteristics of aids such as lights, range lights, beacons, racons
location of lights and buoys in relation with navigable channels, shoals, reefs, etc., together with depth of water in surrounding areas

5.7 Bearings and distances. Includes knowledge of bearings of and distances from ship to land, lights, buoys, beacons and other aids:

a) to keep clear of obstruction to navigation
b) to verify position while on course from a point to another
c) to keep clear of oncoming traffic
d) to establish moment and position for changes of courses

5.8 Soundings. Includes knowledge of:

depth of water when approaching land, shoals, reefs and other obstructions to the 10-metre line
depth of water by sectors or areas of the channels where variations in the depth of water are prominent

5.9 Wharfs and installations. Includes knowledge of:

direction, length, depth of water alongside, conspicuous objects and configuration of surrounding area
channels and approaches with marks ranges and bearings
currents and set of currents and methods of counteracting
services available such as tugs and their characteristics, linesmen, etc.
method of approach with or without tugs

5.10 Contour lines, shallows, shoals, reefs, including knowledge of:

aspect and dimension of obstacles; direction and dimension of shoals including depth of water in surrounding area
marks, ranges and bearings to position and clear obstacles

5.11 Use of radar distances to fix position and set courses, including knowledge of:

distance and bearing of conspicuous targets to verify courses and position
distance and bearing of conspicuous targets to fix position to alter course
distance and bearing of conspicuous targets to maintain course and position away from oncoming traffic

5.12 An in-depth knowledge of the waters of the district including secondary channels