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  5. Guidelines for the Construction and Inspection of Pilot Vessels (2006) - TP 14530 E

Guidelines for the Construction and Inspection of Pilot Vessels (2006) - TP 14530 E

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Table Of Contents

  1. Forward
  2. Introduction
  3. Application
  4. Interpretation
  5. Submission and Approval Of Plans And Data
  6. Hull Construction And Subdivision
  7. Intact and Damage Stability
  8. Machinery and Systems
  9. Electrical
  10. Controls and Monitoring
  11. Mooring and Anchoring Equipment
  12. Embarkation Deck Arrangements
  13. Fire Protection Equipment
  14. Life Saving Equipment
  15. Person Overboard Retrieval
  16. Navigation and Communications
  17. Inspection Standards

1 Forward

1.1 The purpose of this document is to provide a compilation of the various standards and statutory requirements that apply to pilot vessels. At the request of the Pilotage Authorities, these Guidelines were developed not only to facilitate the tasks of the builders, owners, operators and inspectors of pilot vessels, but ultimately in support of the safety and protection for all on board Canadian pilot vessels.

1.2 These Guidelines are based upon the standards for the construction and inspection of small passenger vessels as detailed in the Standards for the Construction and Inspection of Small Passenger Vessels. It is recognized that a pilot vessel is NOT a passenger vessel, and as such the areas where the construction of pilot vessels does not match the Standards for the Construction and Inspection of Small Passenger Vessels are identified in these Guidelines. The designer, builder or owner and the local TC Marine Safety inspector should review these sections to determine a common approach to these issues.

1.3 A word of caution must be extended to the Pilotage Authorities, designers and builders of pilot vessels, as they will need to pay special regard to the intended operation (including environmental factors and voyage considerations) when selecting the design, materials and equipment to be used in the vessel's construction.

1.4 Most importantly, the builder, owner and operator must always refer to the most recent Canada Shipping Act (CSA) regulations and standards, as these Guidelines do not replace the regulations and may not capture recent changes made to the various regulations and/or standards.

1.5 The final authority for any section of these Guidelines are the latest relevant regulation, which must be consulted prior to any undertaking. A list of regulations and standards referred to in these Guidelines has been added below; however, this list is not exhaustive of all relevant regulations and standards. The reader should consult the following Transport Canada websites for a comprehensive list of all the Canada Shipping Act Regulations : 

The following Transport Canada regulations should be consulted:

  • CSA - Charts and Nautical Publication Regulations
  • CSA - Collision Regulations
  • CSA - Crew Accommodation Regulations
  • CSA - Fire Detection and Extinguishing Regulations
  • CSA - Hull Construction Regulations
  • CSA - Hull Inspection Regulations
  • CSA - Marine Machinery Regulations
  • CSA - Navigating Safety Regulations
  • CSA - Ships Station (Radio) Regulations
  • CSA - Ship Station (Radio) Technical Regulations
  • TP 11717 Standards for the Construction and Inspection of Small Passenger Vessels
  • TP 127 Ship's Electrical Standards
  • TP 7301 Stability, Subdivision and Load Line Standards

1.6 These Guidelines also direct the reader to the Canada Labour Code (CLC), Part II, found at: http://www.tc.gc.ca/acts-regulations/GENERAL/C/clc/menu.htm

1.7 Marine Occupational and Safety Health Regulations pursuant to the CLC, found at: http://www.tc.gc.ca/acts-regulations/GENERAL/c/clc/regulations/001/clc002/clc002.html

1.8 Finally, consultation with Classification Society Rules may be necessary in the construction of pilot vessels. The International Association of Classification Societies (IACS) may be found at: http://www.iacs.org.uk/members.htm

1.9 Other relevant Transport Canada regulations and TP's should be consulted:

  • CSA - Aids to Navigation Protection Regulations
  • CSA - Air Pollution Regulations
  • CSA - Anchorage Regulations
  • CSA - Boat and Fire Drill Regulations
  • CSA - Boating Restriction Regulations
  • CSA - Marine Certification Regulations
  • CSA - Safe Working Practices Regulations
  • CSA - Small Vessel Regulations
  • CSA - Steering Appliances and Equipment Regulations
  • CSA - VHF Radiotelephone Practices and Procedures Regulations
  • TP 1332 Construction Standards for Small Vessels
  • TP 1861 Standards for Navigation Lights, Shapes, Sound Signal Appliances and Radar Reflectors
  • TP 3231 Ship Safety Bulletins
  • TP 3668 Standards for Navigating Appliances and Equipment
  • TP 7319 Standards for Pyrotechnic Distress Signals and Similar Devices
  • TP 7320 Standards for Lifeboats
  • TP 7321 Standards for Life Rafts and Inflatable Rescue Platforms
  • TP 7325 Standards for Lifebuoys and Integral Equipment
  • TP 9248 Standard for Personal Locator Lights
  • TP 11342 Coastal Life Raft
  • TP 11469 Guide to Structural Fire Protection
  • TP 13414 Registration Guide - How to Register a Ship or Boat in Canada
  • TP 13571 Standards for SOLAS Life Jackets
  • TP 14070 Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide

2 Introduction

2.1 These Guidelines are intended as a tool to assist in understanding the construction and inspection requirements for pilot vessels operating under Canadian jurisdiction. These Guidelines should not be seen as adding to or detracting from existing statutory or regulatory requirements. Regulatory statutes prevail in the case of conflict with these guidelines.

2.2 The construction of all new vessels should follow these Guidelines. However, since changes to regulations and standards will not necessarily be reflected in these Guidelines, consultation with the appropriate regulations and standards is required. All pilot vessels must comply with the appropriate regulations and standards.

2.3 These guidelines supersede the Standards for Pilot Vessels, TP 10531 dated November 1989, which is now cancelled.

3 Application

3.1 These Guidelines apply to pilot vessels where the pilot is embarked or disembarked by bringing the pilot vessel alongside a ship whilst at sea.

3.2 Whenever it is necessary for the Pilotage Authority to employ a vessel to act as a pilot vessel for limited periods, the vessel must comply with the appropriate regulations and standards so far as is reasonable and practicable. In any case, the vessel must hold a valid safety inspection certificate.

3.3 Whenever a pilot vessel does not comply with these Guidelines, the pilots and/or a Pilotage Authority Launch Safety Committee should be informed prior to boarding and will judge as to whether or not any deficiency would render the pilot transfer unsafe.

3.4 Notwithstanding anything in the appropriate regulations:

  • the Board may exempt any vessel from full compliance with any of the requirements set out in the regulations;
  • where the Board considers it necessary in the interests of safety of life, it may impose special requirements in addition to the requirements set out in the regulations.

4 Interpretation

4.1 In these Guidelines:

"Act" means the Canada Shipping Act;

"Approved classification society" means any classification society accepted by Transport Canada Marine Safety as an acceptable marine approval body;

"Approved" means approved by the Board;

"Board" means the Board of Steamship Inspection of Transport Canada;

"Conning Position" means the location from which the vessel is normally manoeuvered and monitored when under way i.e. the wheelhouse or bridge;

"Embarkation Deck" means the area of the vessel designated for the embarkation or disembarkation of pilots during pilot transfer operations;

"Inspector" means a Transport Canada, Marine Safety Inspector appointed under the Act;

"Length" means the distance from the foreside of the foremost permanent structure to the aft side of the aftermost permanent structure of the vessel, not including bulwarks, guards or rubbing strakes;

"Machinery space" means a space containing propelling machinery and includes all trunks to such spaces;

"Margin line" means a line drawn at least 76mm below the upper surface of the bulkhead deck at the side of a vessel;

"New vessel" means:

  • a vessel, the keel of which was laid on or after the date of issue of these Guidelines;
  • a vessel that is converted to a pilot vessel or undergoes major modifications on or after the date of issue of these Guidelines;
  • a vessel that is transferred to registry in Canada on or after the date of issue of these Guidelines;

"Pilot" means a ship's pilot according to the Pilotage Act. When any pilot is in transit to or from a ship, where they will act or have acted as a pilot they are not considered to be a "passenger" under the definition contained in the Canada Shipping Act;

"Regional Director" means the Regional Director of Transport Canada Marine Safety of the region in which the pilot vessel will operate.

"Rules or codes" means rules, regulations or codes issued by an approved classification society and relating to the construction, installation and inspection of marine hulls and machinery;

"Ship" means the vessel to which the pilot vessel is either embarking or disembarking a pilot;

"Vessel" means a pilot vessel;

"Watertight", in relation to a structure, means the structure is capable of preventing the passage of water through it in any direction, under a head of water up to the vessel's margin line;

5 Submission and Approval of Plans and Data

5.1 The following regulations and standards apply for Section 5:

  • Marine Machinery Regulations
  • TP 127 Ship's Electrical Standards
  • Fire Detection and Extinguishing Regulations
  • Life Saving Equipment Regulations
  • Navigating Safety Regulations
  • Collision Regulations

These regulations and standards are available online from:

5.2 The owner or his representative should submit to the Regional Director for approval, the plans and data as set out in Part 4 and Schedule I of Standards for the Construction and Inspection of Small Passenger Vessels with the modifications described in sub-section 5.3 and 5.4,

5.3 The general arrangement plan should include the sight lines from the conning position.

5.4 In lieu of the passengers' muster and embarkation areas required in 7.1 (d) of Schedule I of the Standards for the Construction and Inspection of Small Passenger Vessels, a plan of the Person-Overboard Recovery System and all associated equipment should be submitted.

6 Hull Construction and Subdivision

6.1 The following regulations and standards apply for Section 6:

  • Hull Construction Regulations
  • TP 7301 Stability, Subdivision and Load Line Standards

These regulations and standards are available from:

6.2 The hull and superstructure scantlings and construction should meet or exceed the requirements of Part 5 of Standards for the Construction and Inspection of Small Passenger Vessels or acceptable rules of an approved classification society, appropriate to the vessel's size, speed and area of operation, with the modifications described in sub-section 6.3 to 6.10,

6.3 Every vessel should be provided with resilient fendering around the vessel sides, bow and after corners, sufficient to alleviate damage during normal operations. Special attention must be given to the areas that are normally expected to make contact with the ship.

6.4 Hinged Watertight doors as described in sub-section 5.5.10 may be fitted as the watertight doors required under section 5.5 of Standards for the Construction and Inspection of Small Passenger Vessels.

6.5 Bulwarks and rails as detailed in section 5.8 of Standards for the Construction and Inspection of Small Passenger Vessels should be modified to meet the operational requirements of pilot vessels as outlined in Part 11 of these Guidelines.

6.6 As pilot vessels do not carry passengers, the following modifications to Part 19 of Standards for the Construction and Inspection of Small Passenger Vessels may apply to pilot vessels:

6.7 The arrangement of stairways sub-section of the structural fire protection section are not applicable to pilot vessels;

6.8 areas which may be exposed to fire, require only 30 minute structural integrity;

6.9 if there is a control station for the person overboard recovery system that is remote from the wheelhouse, the wheelhouse does not need to be separated from the remainder of the vessel;

6.10 watertight doors in aluminum vessels may be constructed of aluminum.

7 Intact and Damage Stability

7.1 The following regulations and standards apply for Section 7:

Hull Construction Regulations

7.2 The Intact and Damage Stability should meet or exceed the requirements of Part 6 of Standards for the Construction and Inspection of Small Passenger Vessels.

8 Machinery and Systems

8.1 The following regulations and standards apply for Section 8:

  • Marine Machinery Regulations

These regulations and standards are available from:

8.2 The vessels machinery, piping, and mechanical systems should meet or exceed the requirements of Chapter III of Standards for the Construction and Inspection of Small Passenger Vessels or the published rules of an approved classification society appropriate to the vessel's size, speed and area of operation.

9 Electrical

9.1 The following standard apply for Section 9:

  • TP 127 Ship's Electrical Standards

Available from:

9.2 The vessel's electrical systems should comply with the Ship's Electrical Standards as applicable.

10 Controls and Monitoring

10.1 The following regulation apply for Section 10:

  • Marine Machinery Regulations

These regulations are available from:

10.2 All vessels should be provided with a central conning position, provided with the following:

  • control of all propulsion and maneuvering functions,
  • remote start and stopping of propulsion engines,
  • monitoring of machinery and ships service functions and alarms, and
  • navigation equipment in accordance with section 16.

10.3 Visibility: The person operating the vessel, when at the conning position, should have a clear view of the following:

  • the embarkation deck,
  • the pilot ladder to the point where the pilot is under the control of the ship's crew, to a maximum height of 10 m above the waterline, and the after deck and stern area.
  • if there is no secondary conning position at the man overboard recovery station, the recovery position should be visible from the main conning position.

10.4 For items listed in Section 10.3, a closed circuit television system may be employed.

10.5 Machinery Space: The machinery space may be arranged for unmanned operation. The requirements of this part may be met through additional manning standards (additional qualified crew).

11 Mooring and Anchoring Equipment

11.1 The following regulation apply for Section 11:

  • Hull Inspection Regulations

This regulation is available from:

11.2 The vessels' Mooring and Anchoring Equipment should meet or exceed the requirements of Part 24 of Standards for the Construction and Inspection of Small Passenger Vessels or the published rules of an approved classification society appropriate to the vessel's size, speed and area of operation.

12 Embarkation Deck Arrangements

12.1 The embarkation deck should be of sufficient area to allow two persons to easily move about the deck without interference to each other.

12.2 There should be at least two widely separated accesses to the embarkation deck, preferable one on each side of the vessel, or one aft and one to the side. Access paths to the embarkation deck must be a minimum of 450 mm clear width.

12.3 The embarkation deck and areas between the embarkation deck and access to the interior of the vessel should be provided with an approved non-slip surface. The surface should be effective considering the service conditions the vessel is likely to encounter, and should be sufficiently robust so as not to require excessive maintenance.

12.4 The embarkation deck should be provided with robust handrails, located inboard of the vessel's side. The top rail should be at least 915 mm above the deck.

12.5 To the greatest extent possible, the embarkation deck should be clear of fittings or any other hazards.

12.6 All vessels should be provided with a crew security arrest system, extending from the access to the interior of the vessel around the embarkation deck.

12.7 The embarkation deck and access areas to the interior of the vessel should be provided with adequate lighting located not more than 500 mm above the deck, and should be screened so as not to affect night vision from the conning position. Lighting should be switched from the conning position.

13 Fire Protection Equipment

13.1 The following regulations and standards apply for Ship's Electrical Standards:

  • Fire Detection and Extinguishing Equipment Regulations

These regulations and standards are available from:

13.2 The vessels' Fire Protection Equipment should meet or exceed the requirements of Part 20 of Standards for the Construction and Inspection of Small Passenger Vessels or the published rules of an approved classification society appropriate to the vessel's size, speed and area of operation.

14 Life Saving Equipment

14.1 The following regulation applies for Section 14:

  • Lifesaving Equipment Regulations

This regulation is available from:

14.1 The vessels' Life Saving Equipment should meet or exceed the requirements of Part 22 of Standards for the Construction and Inspection of Small Passenger Vessels or the published rules of an approved classification society appropriate to the vessel's size, speed and area of operation.

15 Person Overboard Retrieval

15.1 Every vessel should be fitted with a mechanical device which can retrieve a floating, unconscious person from the water without the need for another person to enter the water.

15.2 The control station for this device should incorporate control of the vessels propulsion and steering systems.

15.3 The control station for this device should be so located and configured that the operator has, as far as is practical, an unrestricted view of the device and the water in the vicinity of the device.

15.4 Electrical floodlights should be provided to adequately illuminate the sea around the retrieval device to 25 m beyond the vessel. Lights must be switched from the control station.

15.5 Every vessel should be provided with a portable or permanent ladder, or similar for access from the open deck to the waterline, suitable for use by a conscious, uninjured person in the water.

15.6 Every vessel should be provided with one approved life saving hook with minimum 4 m long shaft, suitably stowed.

15.7 The requirements of this part may be met through additional manning standards (additional qualified crew).

16 Navigation and Communications

16.1 The following regulations and standards apply for Section 16:

  • Collision Regulations
  • Navigating Appliances and Equipment Regulations
  • Ship Station Technical Regulations
  • Ship Station Radio Regulations
  • Charts and Publications Regulations

These regulations and standards are available from:

16.2 The vessels' Navigation and Communications Equipment should meet or exceed the requirements of Part 23 of Standards for the Construction and Inspection of Small Passenger Vessels or the published rules of an approved classification society appropriate to the vessel's size, speed and area of operation.

17 Inspection Standards

17.1 The following regulations and standards apply for Section 17:

  • Hull Inspection Regulations
  • Marine Machinery Inspection Regulations
  • TP 127 Ship's Electrical Standards
  • Fire Detection and Extinguishing Regulations
  • Life Saving Equipment Regulations
  • Navigating Safety Regulations
  • Collision Regulations
  • Charts and Publications Regulations
  • Ship Station Radio and Ship Station Technical Regulations

These regulations and standards are available from:

17.2 The vessels' Inspections and Certificates should meet or exceed the requirements of Part 25 of Standards for the Construction and Inspection of Small Passenger Vessels, with the modification that for a non-passenger vessel, there is no requirement for the annual inspection.

Date modified:
2010-08-03