Profile: Captain Ed Enos

PROFESSION:

Harbor Pilot

PERSONAL EXPERIENCE:

22 years working as Harbor Pilot
9 years sailing deep sea as ship’s officer
4 years at Maritime Academy
4 years at sea working aboard charter boats, tugs, research ships, and yachts

Captain Enos going aboard Matson’s Maui.

As a Harbor Pilot licensed by the State of Hawai‘i and the US Coast Guard, a pilot is assigned to every large commercial vessel and all foreign vessels that transit the waters of all commercial harbors throughout the State of Hawai‘i. We board the vessels out at sea in a safe position (the ‘pilot station’), then take over the control of the vessel from the Captain and ship’s crew. We then navigate the vessel safely from out at sea to her assigned place alongside the pier. When the vessel is leaving port, we do the same job by navigating the ship out from the harbor and safely out to sea.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE REQUIRED TO BE A HARBOR PILOT:

To be a pilot here in the state of Hawai‘i, (the requirements are different everywhere) each applicant for the job must possess an “Unlimited Tonnage, Any Ocean Master’s license.” You must also have Federal Pilotage endorsements for all seven commercial ports where we work. You do NOT have to have sailed as a Master, but you must show working as a Chief Mate one year at sea. Lastly, you must complete, 50 round trips of Honolulu Harbor, 10 of these round trips at night.

From the time I passed my Third Mate exam with the US Coast Guard, it took me nine years to obtain all these requirements before I could apply to sit for the ‘STATE PILOT EXAMINATION’. This test is rarely given (every few years), when a new pilot trainee is required. An individual must sit for the one day competitive exam and, if you score the highest score, you are assigned an apprentice license and begin a four year training program.

A college education is not required. Two of our pilots are “hawse-pipers” from the industry.

BEST THING ABOUT BEING A HARBOR PILOT:

I am aboard the ship for the most exciting part of every voyage. The start of each trip out to sea. And again, arriving into port after being at sea for several days (or weeks). There is a different environment aboard ship on those two days. There is a different attitude for the crew as well. The Harbor Pilot is the first new face that the crew sees after being at sea a long while. The Harbor Pilot frequently brings aboard a newspaper and “news” about things that the crew may not know or be aware of.

MOST CHALLENGING PART OF BEING A HARBOR PILOT:

Not the ship handling! Thats the fun part! The most (mentally) challenging part that frequently taxes you is dealing with the plethora of rules and regulations that never seem to go away. In fact, with each year’s passing, it seems the International and Federal regulating authorities dream up more requirements you must perform, classes to attend, training you must obtain, things you must do. The list grows longer. It’s always something more to do.

ADVICE FOR ANY INDIVIDUAL INTERESTED IN BEING A HARBOR PILOT:

If you want to be a Harbor Pilot, decide first “where” that will be. You are going to have to invest in yourself, in addition to a huge amount of time, energy, and MONEY over many years (at your own expense) to become familiar with where you want to work the rest of your life. Training to prepare will be vastly different for each place you want to be a Pilot at. A Harbor Pilot is the local “expert” at where he/she is living and working. Therefore, you must live a life working on the water in any capacity, doing the things that increase your level of local knowledge beyond what the ‘average’ person does. It isn’t just about the ship handling. That is a skill you will learn anywhere. But the Captain that is entrusting you with his ship assumes you know far more than him (as a Pilot) about where his ship is going. The winds, currents, reefs, the tugs you work with, the weather, the harbors…everything. So that means, if you want to work here in Hawai‘i, come live and work here. Best to start in Honolulu. If you want to be a pilot somewhere on the mainland, go live and work there.

Captain Enos on the bridge wing of Matson’s Mokihana in Honolulu Harbor.

PERSONAL SEA STORY OR ANECDOTE:

Every sailor has hundreds of sea stories. Many not fit to print if you include all the ‘colorful language’ that typically goes along with a good story. So choosing just one is difficult. But I’ll tell one piloting story. Only one.

I was the Pilot that was to board the CAPE FLATTERY the morning the ship ran herself aground off Barbers Point Harbor. Everything was a routine event that day. I arrived early before sunrise, in the dark. I boarded the tug MAMO that was being operated by Capt. Deron Schade. Deron said he had already talked to the ship and they were on time and, as was customary, told the ship what side to rig the pilot ladder. All very routine.

What I did not know was that the ship was actually early, ahead of schedule and was steaming slowly (about six knots) on a course towards the pilot station to meet me. As the MAMO headed out to put me aboard the ship, I could see the ship was already very close to shore, perhaps dangerously so. So Deron sped up the tug as I called on the radio and spoke (I thought) to the Captain of the ship. I advised them to slow down or turn out towards sea, to stay away from the reef. Somebody on the radio acknowledged me and with that, I thought everything would be fine.

As we continued our way out, it was still early morning twilight. But it was clear to me as we got closer to the ship, they were steaming right past the pilot station, continuing on a course directly onto the reef, just south of the harbor’s entrance channel. They were entirely oblivious to their situation. I then grabbed the radio once more and in as loud and clear a voice I could muster, instructed them to stop, go full astern, or to go hard starboard and turn the ship out to sea away from the reef. I said very clearly several times, “You are going to go aground! You are going to hit the reef!”

Somebody on the bridge was barely answering the radio, as if confused. Minutes later the MAMO came alongside the ship, at the pilot ladder and I jumped off the tug. As I stepped onto the ladder, I could feel beneath my feet a grinding sensation. I scurried up the ladder and as I walked the deck back aft to head up to the bridge, the entire ship shuddered once more, almost so hard I fell over. I knew at that moment we were aground or at least hitting the reef.

As I got to the bridge, I could see we were dead in the water, the engine was still turning ahead, and the Chinese Captain was standing there looking at me. I said “We are aground, we are not moving”. He said “No! Not aground!”

I couldn’t believe this. I took him to the rail to look over the side, where we could see plumes of sand rising up to the surface of the water. We were aground. Now the Captain was angry, because nobody had ‘warned’ him to stay clear of the reef.

This started a very long day. Eventually after trying to pull the ship off the reef with five tugs, we came to the conclusion she was hard aground, burdened by the full load of bulk cement onboard. The next several days were spent lightening off the ship and eventually she floated off and was towed into the harbor.

But this experience made me appreciate what the sensation of being on a ship going aground felt like, without having the blame. I was investigated by the US Coast Guard, had to get an attorney and the whole nine yards. But in the end was exonerated.

I believe the Captain was not even on the bridge. He was likely back in the radio room sending messages to his home office. The person ‘on watch’ was probably the Chief Mate, who also was likely not on the bridge. He was probably down on deck getting ready for arrival. The Captain probably sent him below to do work, and assumed the watch. But wasn’t really staying on the bridge. The ship steamed on auto pilot ahead without even the lookout having any idea of where they actually were.

An example of poorly trained third world crew, minimum manning, and the worst possible bridge management possible. But hey, you get the crew you pay for! The ship was less than two years old. The new hull saved the day. If it had been an older ship, the hull likely would have been broken and spilled oil. How lucky we truly were.

Thats my sea story!

FOLLOW CAPTAIN ENOS ON SOCIAL MEDIA:
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I post mostly lots of pics and short videos. I rarely go on Facebook (due to all the general garbage). My post just show up there as transferred from other social media sites. (User name: Ed Enos)

I spend way too much time here. But Instagram is where I work primarily posting pics and vids, editing, and viewing other accounts. Its all visual and I really enjoy it. I have over 11,000 followers and growing everyday. I try to show people a “view’ as seen from a Harbor Pilot, of things they would never otherwise see. I also try to show and teach things about our industry that ‘non-mariners’ just wouldn’t know. I try to keep my images and vids fresh, new, different each day. I try to post a little about my personal life outside of piloting, to give viewers a peek at my overall lifestyle. (User name: @hicapted)

I am on Twitter a lot as well. I transfer pics and vids from Instagram. I also post some political stuff. So fair warning. Not posting to offend. Just express my political thought at the moment. Some have suggested I have a separate account for that stuff. Nope. “I am what I am and that’s all that I am!” said Popeye the sailor man. Take me or leave me. (User name: @hicapted)

Copyright © 2017 Captain Ed Enos

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