Who Are The Sandy Hook Pilots       The Sandy Hook Pilots board all ocean-going vessels-passenger liners, freighters, tankers, etc-either at the pier or on the open sea off the entrance to the harbor. Often at the risk of their own lives, the pilot clambers up the side of a vessel on a rope ladder and makes his way to the bridge. The pilot then assumes the con to ensure the safety of the vessel with her precious cargo of lives and goods.   This is where the job really begins. They guide the vessel through traffic, rocks, reefs, shoals and narrow channels to her destination. The vessel is directed either to a safe anchorage or to a point directly off the end of the pier, at which time the tug boats take over and assist the ship into her berth. Why must a ship have a pilot to enter a port? Has not the captain safely navigated thousands of miles in all kinds of weather? Those familiar with the sea know that a ship is safer at sea than she is when near, or surrounded by, land. Any ship master will tell you that a modern ocean-going vessel is designed and constructed to take any kind of weather. Even a mistake in the ship's position while at sea can be corrected. Modern radar has greatly reduced the danger of collision at sea. As long as the ship is on open water, she is comparatively safe. Let the vessel get close to land and the story is entirely different. Now she has to contend with narrow channels, sharp turns, strong tidal currents, reefs and shoals. Quarters are close and there is no time to think or consider action to be taken. Traffic may come from all directions and a moment's delay may court disaster. In poor visibility all the radar pips must be correctly interpreted and proper decisions made immediately. Only an expert can properly cope with these things. The pilot is such an expert. The Sandy Hook Pilot had devoted his or her life to the preparation and training necessary to do this job. What they know of the harbor and its dangers is comparable to the doctor's knowledge of the human body and the diseases that affect it. They are truly the skilled physician of the harbor. When today's ship master radios for a pilot he or she knows that the response from the Sandy Hook Pilots will be prompt and professional.                   Webdesign by Rachael Burns