Pilotage is compulsory in Hong Kong and all vessels over 3,000 gross tons (GT) must have a pilot onboard when navigating in the port. Vessels over 1,000 GT which are carrying dangerous goods are also required to carry a pilot. The pilotage service is available 24 hours a day.
Remarks : For the detail of compulsory pilotage in Hong Kong, please refer to Cap.84, Pilotage Ordinance
Ships flying this Flag "H" have a pilot on board.
Hong Kong has nine pilot boarding stations :
- Area off Ha Mei Wan, west of Lamma Island (lat. 22° 11.908'N, long. 114° 05.447'E)
- Area off the turning buoy in the Tathong Channel (lat. 22° 15.908'N, long.114° 15.814'E)
- Area off Lam Kok Tsui (Black Point) in Urmston Road (lat. 22° 24.925'N, long. 113° 53.347'E)
- Area off the entrance to Tolo Channel (lat. 22° 29.508'N, long. 114° 19.848'E)
- Area off Ngan Chau in East Lamma Channel (lat. 22° 12.958'N, long. 114° 09.847'E)
- Area off Crooked Island in Mirs Bay (lat. 22° 33.500'N, long. 114° 20.200'E)
- Area off Ping Chau in Mirs Bay (lat. 22° 32.800'N, long. 114° 23.600'E)
- Area off Shek Ngau Chau in Mirs Bay (lat. 22° 29.700'N, long. 114° 26.540'E)
- Area off South of Cheung Chau Island (lat. 22° 09.663'N, long. 114° 03.055'E)
The Director of Marine is the Pilotage Authority and he is advised on all pertinent matters by the Pilotage Advisory Committee. There are about 100 licensed pilots in Hong Kong to handle about 4,500 ship movements per month.