Year round, day or night.
We’ve been protecting Puget Sound for nearly a century.
Legacy
The Puget Sound Pilots is an association of highly skilled and trained maritime pilots who work on behalf of the people and businesses of Washington. With the support of boat operators, dispatchers and administrative staff, our pilots board vessels such as oil tankers, cargo vessels and cruise ships, piloting them safely through congested waters.
Environment
Our work protects the marine environment that makes Puget Sound what it is. We honor our relationship with the Tribes of the Salish Sea, whose ancestral waters we navigate every day.
Expertise
We know the Puget Sound better than anyone. Our pilots are independently licensed master mariners whose primary job is to prevent loss of life, damage to property and vessels, and harm to the marine environment.
Economy
We keep Washington’s supply chain and economy moving. Puget Sound is a top 10 container gateway, one of the 10 busiest cruise ports, and a major oil and bulk shipping port. We work around the clock to safely navigate ships into and out of its waters.
WHO WE ARE
Keeping Puget Sound safe and the economy moving since 1935.
We know the Puget Sound Pilotage District like the back of our hand.
For nearly a century, the Puget Sound Pilots have kept Seattle’s waters safe and our economy moving – from Port Angeles to the Canadian border and south to Olympia. Our reach also includes the San Juan Islands, Swinomish Channel, Duwamish River, Lake Union and Lake Washington.
Pilots are local experts licensed by the State of Washington and U.S. Coast Guard. In addition to being ship captains, they must know the district so well that they can draw nautical charts by memory – every port, terminal, strait, river, shoal and hazard.
HOW WE HELP
We protect the environment and prevent accidents.
We support industry and the efficient flow of goods, but we work for the citizens of Washington state. With a licensed pilot on board, ships can safely and legally transit our waterways. Since 1935, we have maintained an extraordinary safety record, completing over 200,000 successful sailings in the last 25 years alone.
Puget Sound Pilots by the Numbers
Two-year average, 2023-2024
Total cargo tonnage
Cruise ship passengers
Pilotage assignments
Protecting the Puget Sound’s precious ecosystems.
Safety onboard means safety for the Sound.
Crew fatigue, mechanical problems and navigational errors can lead to accidents that may spill thousands of gallons of pollutants into the water. Pilots can identify and address deficiencies on a ship and prevent environmental harm before it happens.
Immediate action prevents harm.
If a pilot finds a problem onboard that could compromise the environment or safety, the pilot will take action. This could involve swiftly notifying the Coast Guard, or delaying departure or docking until the necessary repairs are made.
Guided by safety, not profit.
Because pilots are independent professionals licensed solely by the State of Washington, their singular responsibility is protecting the people and environment of the Sound – not a company’s bottom line.
Learn more about our commitment to protecting the environment while upholding safety standards.
Connecting the community to the Sound.
July 9th, 1985
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July 9th, 1985
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July 9th, 1985
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Learn more about our community outreach efforts, from classroom visits to volunteer opportunities.