543

1 INTRODUCTION

Enteringandexitingtheportisoftenconsideredthe

mostdangerousportionofaship’svoyageduetothe

navigationalhazardsandtrafficcongestion.Captains

ofseagoingshipshavenowaystoalwaysmemorize

and get accustomed to the meteorology, hydrology,

topographyandportoperationpracticesofeachport.

Hence, they must request the assistance of local

experts, harbor and river pilot

s, to advise for them.

The pilotsare specially engagedin guiding ships to

enter, exit the port, and berthing operation without

relievingtheresponsibilityanddutiesofthecaptain.

Everydaypilotshavetooperatedifferentshipsfrom

rious countries, which involves an in‐depth

knowledgeofshipoperatingcharacteristicsandlocal

waters,aswellastheabilitytoworkacrosscultures.

Maritime pilots play an important role in

promotingmaritimesafetyandprotectingthemarine

environment and the high standards of pilotage

servicesalreadyestablishedinChinaandma

nyother

States(IMO&IMPA,2004).Sinceeachpilotagearea

requires highly specialized experience and local

knowledgeonthe partofthe pilot,theInternational

Maritime Organization (IMO) and International

MaritimePilots’Association(IMPA)didnotintendto

become involved with either the certification or

licensingofpilotsorthesystemsofpilot

agepracticed

in various States, rather they laid out a set of

standards to enable states and pilots to achieve the

bestpossibleoutcome.

In China, this is achieved through the Maritime

SafetyAdministration(MSA)ofthePeopleʹsRepublic

Introduction and Overview o

China’s Pilot Training

Regime

W.Li&J.Yu

DalianMaritimeUniversity,Dalian,China

R.Desrosiers

USNavy

ABSTRACT: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pilot

s,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,tra

iner’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.

http://www.transnav.eu

the International Journal

on Marine Navigation

and Safety of Sea Transportation

Volume 10

Number 4

December 2016

DOI:10.12716/1001.10.04.01

544

ofChina,whichisresponsibleforthecertificationor

licensingofamaritimepilotthroughthetestingand

assessing of the experience, qualification and

suitability of an applicant. MSA administers its

maritime pilots’ certification and licensing program

through the “Regulations on pilot registration and

qualificationmanagementforpilotsof

PeopleʹsRepublicof

China(ChinaMSA,2013)”whichincorporatesIMO’s

ResolutionA.960.

Thispaperprovidesanoverviewoftheinitialand

refresher training required by pilots in China.

followed by a description of how Dalian Maritime

University (DMU) implements pilot training,

addressing the physical learning environment

(classroomandequipment), class

 hourarrangement,

theory and practical class distribution of different

class pilots. The qualification and experience of the

trainersandtraineeswillalsobediscussed.Basedon

results of the China’s pilot training regime,

recommendations will be made not only for

improving China’s and DMU’s pilot training 

program, but also where

best practices identified at

DMUcanbeimplementedatotherinstitutions.

2 CHINA’SPILOTAGESITUATION

Withthedevelopmentoftheglobaleconomy,China

has an increasingly important impact global

waterborne trade. According to international

practices, as well as China’s national regulations,

foreign, as well as some Chinese, registered ships

arriving and

 departing from China’s ports, are

requiredto takea pilot.This isnotonlyrequiredto

guarantee thesafetyand reliability of ship andport

schedules, and maintain public security and

stewardship of the port environment, but also

functions as a means to ensure the nation’s

sovereignty over territorial waters

as well as

performinganationaldefensesecurityfunction.

China has 45 maritime pilot organizations and a

total1704pilots,thatinclude926firstclasspilots,489

secondclasspilotsand289thirdclasspilots(CMPA,

2016). China’s pilots comprise almost 14% of the

world’spilots.Since2011,China’spilotssafely

guide

over 1000 ships a day in and out of Chinese ports

(Table1).

China’spilotsarecomprisedtotwobasicgroups,

seaport and river port pilots, divided into three

classes:first,second,andthirdclasspilots.Firstclass

pilotsrepresentthemostexperiencedpilots,whilethe

third class pilots

are the least experienced. The

relationship of pilot class and the sizeof ships they

canpilotisdescribedintable2.

2.1 Professionalrequirementsforpilotlicenses

In China, taking part in pilot training is the

preconditionofattendingpilottestsandassessments.

Before pilot training, China’s MSA will check

 the

pilots’ experience and service record, physical

conditionandthelicensestheyheldinordertosatisfy

with the relevant requirements of corresponding

classes.

Table1.Shipspiloted in China inrecent five years (MOT,

2016)

_______________________________________________

Year Shipspiloted  Averageshipsperday

_______________________________________________

2011 3851101055.1

2012 3739221024.4

2013 3823151047.4

2014 3749101027.2

2015 3815051045.2

_______________________________________________



Table2.Descriptionofpilotclassandshipsize(MSA,2013)

_______________________________________________

Pilotclass  Shiplengthcanbepiloted

_______________________________________________

Seaportfirst Allvesselsinthepilotagearea

classpilot



Seaportsecond Vesselslessthan250metersinlengthin

classpilot  thepilotagearea,exceptpassengervessels

equalormorethan180metersinlength.



Seaportthird Vesselslessthan180metersinlengthin

classpilot  thepilotagearea,exceptpassengervessels

andbulkcargocarrierwithclassI

dangerousbulkcargo



Riverport  Allvesselsinthepilotagearea

firstclasspilot



Riverport  Vesselslessthan200metersinlengthin

secondclass thepilotagearea,exceptpassengervessels

pilotequalormorethan180metersinlength



Riverportthird Vesselslessthan150metersinlengthin

classpilot  thepilotagearea,exceptpassengervessels

andbulkcargocarrierwithclassI

dangerousbulkcargo

_______________________________________________

Note:LocalMaritimeSafetyAdministration of Ministry of

Transportationof thePeople’sRepublicofChinacanhave

special rules onthe length and thetype ofvessel thatthe

corresponding pilot canpilot according tothe situation of

jurisdictional area, includes port, channel, navigational

environment and the situation of the pilot,

 and needs to

applytoChinaMSAfortheapproval.

2.2 Physicalfitness

InEachcandidateforpilot’slicenseshouldsatisfythe

MSA, China’s competent pilotage authority,that his

orhermedicalfitness,particularlyregardingeyesight,

hearing, and physical fitness, meets the standards

requiredforthecertificationofmastersandofficersin

chargeofanavigationalwatchundertheInternational

Convention

 on Standards of Training, Certification and

Watchkeeping for Seafarers, 1978, (STCW 78) as

amended, or such other standards as the MSA

considers appropriate in accordance with IMO

guidance for the certification and licensing of pilots

(IMO & IMPA, 2004). China’s MSA requires each

applicant to satisfy the requirements of the

 “The

standards of physical fitness of seafarers for safety

watchkeeping at sea”, which takes into full

considerationtheSTCW78,asamended.

2.3 Servicerequirements

UnderChina’sMSAregulations(MSA,2013b),forall

classesofpilots,five yearsof good servicerecord is

the basic condition to attend the pilot training.

Additionally, pilots are required to satisfy with the

followingrequirementstoqualifyasanapplicantfor

alicense,listedbyclassofpilotlicense.

545

1 The minimum service required to qualify as an

applicantforaseaportfirstclasspilotlicense.

 Hold a seaport second class pilotage license

withaminimumof36monthspilotageservice,

reachuptotheminimumrequiredmileageand

ships,Or

 Hold a license as an unlimited

 master with a

minimum of 60 months unlimited master

service,andhaveatleast12monthsserviceas

anapprenticepilot

2 The minimum service required to qualify as an

applicantforaseaportsecondclasspilotlicense

 Holdaseaportthirdclasspilotagelicensewith

aminimumof

36monthspilotageservice,and

reachuptotheminimumrequiredmileageand

ships,Or

 Hold a license as an unlimited master with a

minimum of 12 months unlimited master

service,andhaveatleast12monthsserviceas

anapprenticepilot.

3 The minimum service required to qualify as

 an

applicantforaseaportthirdclasspilotlicense.

 Holdalicenseasanunlimitedchiefofficerwith

a minimum of 12 months unlimited chief

officer service, and have at least 12 months

serviceasanapprenticepilot,Or

 A graduate ofan accreditedMaritime College

or University

with a BSc in marine

transportation, and holding a second officer’s

license, recruited by a pilotage institute or

association, and having a minimum of 18

monthsasanapprenticepilot.

4 The minimum service required to qualify as an

applicantforariverportfirstclasspilotlicense.

 Holda

riversportsecondclasspilotagelicense

withaminimumof36monthspilotageservice,

reachuptotheminimumrequiredmileageand

ships,Or

 Hold an unlimited master or limited master

license with a minimum of 60 months master

service,andhaveatleast12monthsserviceas

an

apprenticepilot.

5 The minimum service required to qualify an

applicant for a license as river port second class

pilotlicense.

 Hold a river port third class pilotage license

withaminimumof36monthspilotageservice,

reachuptotheminimum pilotagedistance or

pilotageshipsasrequired,Or



 Hold an unlimited master or limited master

license with a minimum of 12 months master

service,andhaveatleast12monthsserviceas

apprenticepilot.

6 The minimum service required to qualify an

applicant for a license as river port third class

pilot.

 Holdalicenseas

anunlimitedorlimitedchief 

officer with a minimum of 12 months chief

officer service, and have at least 12 months

serviceasapprenticepilot,Or

 A graduate ofan accreditedMaritime College

or University with a BSc in marine

transportation, and holding a second officer’s

license, recruited by a

 pilotage institute or

association, and having a minimum of 18

monthsasanapprenticepilot.

7 Theminimumrequirementstochangegeographic

areas(seaporttoseaportorriverporttoriverport)

or pilotage areas (from seaport to river port, or

riverporttoseaport).

 Application for the test

and assessment of

changinggeographicarea,atleast6monthsof

apprenticepilotserviceofapplicablearea,and

a minimum number of apprentice miles or

shipsasrequiredbythelocalpilotassociation,

Or

 Seaport pilots must take a test and an

assessmentequivalenttothesameclassofriver



port pilot (e.g. first class seaport pilot to first

classriverpilot),aminimumof6monthsasan

apprenticeriverpilot,andaminimumnumber

ofapprenticemilesorshipsasrequiredbythe

localpilot,Or

 Riverportpilots,regardlessofclass,canapply

for the test

and assessment of third class

seaport pilot license, but need to have a

minimum of 3 months of seaport apprentice

pilot service, and a minimum number of

apprentice miles or ships as required by the

localpilotassociation.

3 COURSESREQUIREMENTSFORPILOT

TRAINING

The Department of Training and Certification of



China’s MSAhaving taken into consideration of the

functions and responsibilities of China’s pilots and

IMO’s A.960 recommendations for pilot training, in

ordertodevelopawell‐definedsyllabusforeachclass

of pilotlicensure, as shown in Table3. The training

requirements address the characteristics and

requirementsforeach

classof pilot.The courses fall

into two assessment categories: written assessments

andpracticalassessments.

According to the IMO Resolution A.960

“Recommendations on training and certification and

operationalprocedures formaritimepilotsotherthandeep

sea pilots”, pilot training should cover the study of

IMO Standard Maritime Communication Phrases

(SMCP),

 when the pilots are not native English

speakers. In order to achieve and maintain a high

proficiency of communication between pilot and

bridge team, the China  pilot training scheme must

invest a significant amount of time incorporating

verbalandwrittenEnglishandSMCPtrainingacross

alllevelsofpilottraining.

4 REQUIREMENTSFORPILOTTRAINING

INSTITUTES

China’s MSA has a strict certification regime for

institutes that desire to implement and maintain a

pilot training program. These requirements include

thenumberandprofessionalqualificationsoftrainers,

trainers’experience,andtraininglocation,equipment

andfacilities.Onlyinstituteswhichsatisfiedwithall

requirements and

 receive approval from the China

MSAarecertificatetotrainpilots.



546

Table3.Pilottrainingcourses(MSA,2013b)



*Sea/riversecondpilotcandidateswhoalreadyhaveathirdclasspilot’slicenseareexemptfromthesetests.



4.1 Trainers’qualification

China’s MSA provide a clear outline in regards to

trainer qualifications (MSA, 2013a). Each course

concentration requires a subject matter expert on

different aspects of the pilot’s required knowledge

andpractice,suchasShipHandling.MSArecognizes,

andmakesallowancesfor,coursesthatresideoutside

thetraditionalexpertise

ofseafarers,suchasmaritime

law.Ifatheorytrainersatisfiestherequirements,they

canalsofillapracticaltrainerposition.Inaddition,all

trainersmustbefull‐timeemployeeofacertifiedpilot

training institute.A trainer cannot be apart‐time or

temporaryemployeeofthetraininginstitute.

Thequalifications fortrainersin varioustopics is

outlinedbelow(MSA,2013).

1 PilotDuties,MaritimeLaws,PortHydrologyand

Meteorology trainers need to satisfy with one of

thefollowingconditions.

 Haveapilotmajorseniorprofessionaltitlewith

aminimumoffiveyearsfirstclasspilotservice

experience,Or



 Have an associate senior professional title or

higher, with a minimum of six months of

seagoing experience as chief officer,  and have

atleastfiveyearsofteachingexperience.

2 Ship Handling and Collision Avoidance trainers

needtosatisfyoneofthefollowingconditions.

 Haveatleastfive

yearsofseagoingexperience

as unlimited master and have a minimum of

twoyearsofteachingexperience,Or

 Have an associate senior professional title or

higher in the marine transportation field, and

have a minimum of two years of seagoing

experienceasanunlimitedmaster.

3 Pilot English trainers need

 to satisfy with one of

thefollowingconditions.

  Have a bachelor degree or higher and

associate senior professional title of English

major, with a minimum of six months of

seagoingexperience,or

 Have a minimum of one‐year seagoing

experience as unlimited master and have at

leastone

yearofprofessionalEnglishteaching

experience;

4 Trainers in practical assessment courses need to

satisfywithoneofthefollowingconditions.

 Have a minimum of five years of seagoing

experienceasunlimitedmaster,or

 Have a minimum of six months of seagoing

experience as chief officer, and have

at least

threeyearsoflargevesselsimulation teaching

experience.

4.2 Place,equipmentandfacilityrequirementsfor

trainingplace

ChinaMSAprovidespreciserequirementfortraining

place, equipment and facilities required for pilot

training institutes (Table 4). If the training institute

cannotcomplywiththerequirement,ChinaMSAhas

the right

 to suspend certification andclosethe pilot

traininginstitute.

4.3 IntroductiontoChina’spilottraininginstitutes

There are three pilot certified training institutes in

China:DalianMaritimeUniversity(DMU),Shanghai

MaritimeUniversity(SHMU)andWuhanUniversity

of Technology (WHUT). DMU and SHMU are

certified to train seaport pilots, and WHUT

is

responsiblefortheriverpilottrainingofChina.Pilot

trainingisconductedtwotimesayear.Seaportpilot

training is held at DMU in April and at SHMU in

September. River pilot training is conducted at

WHUTinMayandOctobereachyear(MSA,2012).

547

Table4. Equipment and facility requirements for pilot

training(MSA,2013)

_______________________________________________

NO. Place,equipment Requirement

andfacility

_______________________________________________

1 Multi‐media Oneclassroomaccommodatinga

classroom  minimumof40trainees

2 Navigational 40chartsminimum,onechartper

Charttrainee

3 Chartdesk  40desksminimum,onedeskper

trainee

4 Radarsimulator1set,minimumof3ownships

RADAR/ARPAstations,usedfor

collisionavoidance

training.

5 Largeship‐handling1setmeetingtheIMO’sMaritime

 simulatorSimulator’sFunctionStandards

6 SimulationVisuals Atleasttwosimulationvisualsfor

 basedonECDIS eachport,hydrologyand

meteorologyconditioncanbe

changed

7 Equipmentand Minimum40sets

 facilitiesforEnglish

 listeningandspeaking



8 Audio‐Visual  Minimum40sets

 equipmentandfacilities

 formaritimeEnglish

 listening,speaking

_______________________________________________



Table5.PilottrainingarrangementsinChina

(CompiledbyauthorsfromMSAdata)

_______________________________________________

Year TrainingItem DatePlace

_______________________________________________

2014 Seaportpilot April–JulyDMU

Sept‐Dec  SHMU

Riverportpilot May‐July  WHUT

Oct‐DecWHUT

2015 Seaportpilot April‐July  DMU

Sept‐Dec  SHMU

Riverportpilot May‐July  WHUT

Oct‐DecWHUT

2016 Seaportpilot April‐July  DMU

Sept‐Dec  SHMU

River

portpilot May‐July  WHUT

Oct‐DecWHUT

_______________________________________________



5 PILOTTRAININGINDMU

5.1 IntroductiontoDMU

Dalian Maritime University (DMU) is located in

southwestern Dalian, a coastal city in northeastern

China on the Liaodong Peninsula. The University is

theonlymaritimeinstitutionofhigherlearningunder

China’s Ministry of Communications. DMU is

internationallyrecognizedasacenterof

excellentfor

maritimeeducationandtrainingasrecognizedbythe

InternationalMaritimeOrganization(IMO).

The University consists of 14 colleges and

departments, with 16 educational and scientific

researchunitesincludingNavigationCollege,Marine

Engineering College, Information Science and

TechnologyCollege,TransportationandManagement

College, Transportation Engineering and Logistics 

College, School

of Law, Environmental Engineering

College, Humanities and Social Science College,

Foreign Languages College, Department of

Mathematics,DepartmentofPhysics,andDepartment

of Physical Education (DMU, 2016). Currently, the

Universityhas3post‐doctoralprograms,14doctoral

programs, 66 master’s degree programs, and 45

undergraduate programs. The University is

authorizedtoconfer

MBA,MPA,J.M,andMasterof

Engineeringdegrees,professionalmaster’sdegree.

The current student population of DMU is

approximately23,000.Since1953DMUhaseducated

andtrainednearly90,000advancedprofessionalsand

technicalauthoritiesforthecountry.Additionally,Up

to now more than 4,000 overseas students and

advanced professionals from

over 70 countries and

regions have been enrolled in DMU’s Bachelor’s,

Master’s,andPhDdegreeprograms.

There are additional buildings for maritime

training and research, survival training, swimming

pool, planetarium and libraries. DMU also has a

training dock  and over 40 laboratories for maritime

instruction, training, and research including full

mission

 ship‐handling and engine room simulators.

DMU also owns and operates two ocean‐going

trainingvesselsofover10,000dead‐weighttonnage.

5.2 Theorycoursesarrangement

Incompliancewiththerequirementforpilottraining

intuitions and as outline in “Regulations on

ExaminationandCertificationofCompetenceforSeafarers

of the

 Peopleʹs Republic of China” (MSA, 2011) and

considering feedback from pilots and their

associations, DMU selected several captains and

professors with rich seagoing experiences and

academic knowledge to conduct pilot training and

developedasetofsyllabiforpilottrainingarranged

by pilot classification. The syllabi and proposed

instructors’

namesandqualificationsaresubmittedto

theChinaMSAtobevettedand approvedpriorthe

implementationoftrainingscheme.

Examining the DMU pilot training courses’ class

hoursdistributionofdifferentclasspilot(Table6)and

theDMU maincontentsoftrainingcourses(Table7),

it can be seen that

DMU’s pilot training program

complieswiththeIMOA960.Itshouldbenotedthat

China must spend a significant amount of time on

English studies in order to ensure pilots can

effectively communicated with in the international

maritimeenvironment.

5.3 Practicalcoursesarrangement

Practice is the most effective method to

 consolidate

theory and is an important method to improve a

pilot’s understandingandproficiency. The ability to

trainandassesspilottraineesinasimulatedpractical

environment has led to improvements in the ability

controlandpredictionshipmotionunderavarietyof

circumstance and conditions. By placing students in

situations they may rarely experience is a key

componentofthetraining.Thepracticalexperienceis

toenhancebytheabilitytoreplayingsimulationsand

lettingthetraineesdiscussandcriticallyanalyzetheir

actions and decisions, an important aspects of pilot

training.

To facilitate the practical learning experience,

DMU divides trainees

 into teams of four with five 

548

teams comprising a training group. Each group is

assigned four trainers that consist of two primary

trainersandtwoassistanttrainers.

The main trainers are required to hold master

license extensive seagoing experiences. They are

responsible for task introduction, requirements

during navigation, and facilitating the briefing and

debriefing sessions. The

 assistant trainers assist the

maintrainersincarryingouttheplanbyprovidingan

interactive simulation establishing and changing the

environment settings (sea state, weather, etc.) and

traffic conditions, as well as taking on the roles of

traffic services and other ships. Through the use of

lead and assistant trainers,

DMU able to not only

satisfywiththeregulatoryrequirementspertainingto

trainers’ qualification and develop a pool of future

lead trainers, but also enhance the quality of

experientialtraining.

6 DISCUSSIONOFBESTPRACTICESAND

RECOMMENDATIONS

There are two practices that set DMU apart from

other training institutes. The first

 is the use of

feedback from pilots and pilot associations. By

encouragingboth solicitedandunsolicited feedback,

theDMUpilottrainingprogramisabletomakesmall

adjustments in the training pla ns to reflect the

developments in technology, international

regulations,andcapabilitiesofpilotsandmariners.

Thesecondbestpractice

istheuseofassistantsto

notonlyenhancetherealistictrainingexperience,but

alsodevelopspoolofprofessionalleadtrainers.

Table 6. DMU Seaport pilot training courses’ class hour

distribution(NavigationCollege,2016)

_______________________________________________

CoursesThird  Second  First

class  classclass

pilot  pilotpilot

_______________________________________________

ShipHandling 605856

ShipCollision  665650

Avoidance

Port,Hydrology Setting Setting

andMeteorology accordingaccording

tospecific tospecific

circum‐  circum‐

stance stance

Dutiesand3232

MaritimeLaws

MarineTraffic62

Engineering

PilotEnglish  484848

PilotPractice  8080100

Listeningand 

727272

SpeakingofPilot

English

Incidents120

Investigationand

Analysis

_______________________________________________

TotalClassHours 292  346508

_______________________________________________



Table7. DMU Pilot training courses main contents

(NavigationCollege,2015)

_______________________________________________

CourseName MainContents

_______________________________________________

ShipHandling Shiphandlingforpiloting,anchoring,

berthing,andunberthing

Manoeuvringwithandwithouttugsand

emergencysituations

Factorsaffectingshipperformancesuchas

wind,current,tide,channel

configuration,waterdepth,andthe

interactionofshipswiththebottomand

bankincludingsquat

Manoeuvringbehaviorofthetypes

of

ships

Limitationsimposedbyparticular

propulsionandsteeringsystems

Useandlimitationofvarioustypeoftugs

Emergencyandcontingencyplans

Bridgeequipmentandnavigationalaids

PilotCard

ShipCollision

 InternationalRegulationsforPreventing

Avoidance   CollisionsatSea,1972

Nationalandlocalnavigationalsafetyand

pollutionpreventionrules

Informationoflights

Fogsignals,Racons,Radiobeaconsand

otherelectronicaids

Lightvessels,buoysandbeacons

Port,

Systemofbuoyage

HydrologyandGeneralset,rate,riseanddurationofthe

Meteorology  tides

Wind

Current

Anchorage

Dutiesand

 Internationalconventionsofnavigation

MaritimeLaws safetyandpollutionprevention;

Master‐Pilotrelationship

Operationprocedures

Embarkinganddisembarkingprocedures

MarineTraffic

 Communicationandavailabilityof

Engineering  navigationalinformation

Systemsofradionavigationalwarning

broadcastsandthetypeofinformation

Trafficseparationschemes,vesseltraffic

servicesandvesselmanagement

systems

PilotEnglish

 IMOSMCP

Communicationwiththemaster,other

vessel,managementdepartmentandso

on

ShipCollision

 InternationalRegulationsforPreventing

Avoidanceand CollisionsatSea,1972

ShipSignals Nationalandlocalnavigationalsafetyand

pollutionpreventionrules

Informationoflights

Fogsignals,Racons,Radiobeaconsand

otherelectronicaids

Lightvessels,buoysandbeacons

Channeland

 Channels,shoals,headlandsandpoints

Pilotage   Depthsofwaterthroughoutthearea

Courseanddistancesofthearea

_______________________________________________

However, there are several  shortfalls. As noted

several times above, a significant amount of time is

requiredtobespendonmaritimeEnglish,primarily

the SMCP. However, the requirements do not take

intotheactualusageoftheSMCP.Inanunpublished

qualitativestudy on master‐pilot communicationsin

the

 United States, it was found that many US

seafarershadneverbeenexposedto,orevenknewof,

the SMCP (Desrosiers, 2016), making the use of the

SMCPoflimiteduse.

549

This may present a problem for pilots when

interacting with native English speakers. A pilot

usingSMCP‐basedmaritimeEnglishmayexperience

communication difficulties when one party is using

theSMCPandtheotherisnot.

This also exposes another weakness in maritime

EnglishtraininginthatbothEnglishand

non‐English

speakers have a variety of accents and

pronunciations. Thus, while an non‐native English

speakermayhave masteredthecontentoftheSMCP,

the pronunciation may impede effective

communication.

Table7. Pilot training courses main contents in DMU

(continued)

_______________________________________________

CourseName MainContents

_______________________________________________

PilotPractical Shiphandling

BRM

Emergencyandcontingencyplans;

Listeningand IMOStandardMaritimeCommunication

SpeakingofPilot Phrases;

EnglishCommunicationwiththemaster,other

vessels,VesselTrafficService,Portand

terminalmanagement,etc.

Incidents

  IMOCodefortheinvestigationofmarine

Investigation  casualtiesandincidents

andAnalysis

_______________________________________________



Pilotsarealsoexposedtoavarietyofnationalities

andcultureswhenboardingvessels.Theyhavevery

littletimetoacclimatethemselvestoa particularship

andcrew,whichleadtoerrorsresultingfromcultural

misunderstandings. Unfortunately, neither IMO’s

A.960 norMSAregulations require training in cross

culturalcommunications.

Theseproblems

couldbeaddressedbyDMU’suse

of assistant trainers. WhileMSArequires  trainers to

be full‐time employees of the certified training

institution,the provisiondoes not apply toassistant

trainers. Throughthe useof assistanttrainers,DMU

as well as SHMU and WHUT, could leverage part‐

timemaritimeprofessionals

toallowpilottraineesto

experience and non‐standard maritime English and

accents.

7 CONCLUSION

TheIMO, throughA.960,does notdirectmandatory

elementsforthecertificationorguidanceofmaritime

pilots. Rather, the IMO has published

recommendations on the training, certification and

operational procedures  for maritime pilots. As a

result,

 and in full consideration of IMO’s A.960

resolution,China’sMSAhasdevelopedadetailedset

ofregulations fortheprovision ofpilottraining and

certificationtomeettheneedsofthevariousclassesof

pilots, focusing on a quality regime that takes into

consideration aspects of course syllabi, class hour

arrangements,thedistributionoftheoryandpractical 

instruction. The MSA has also taken into the

considerationthe educationalenvironment, ensuring

that quality is maintained in regards to training

equipment and facility requirements, trainer’s

qualification,andtrainee’sserviceexperiences.Dalian

MaritimeUniversity,asatraininginstitute,according

withherspecificcondition,has

developedanefficient

and effective pilot training program that integrates

thetheoreticalandpracticalelementsofpilottraining

whileensuringanexceptionaltrainingexperience.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This work was financially supported by the

Fundamental Research Funds for the Central

Universities,awardnumber3132015009.

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