I am currently educating myself on different harbor pilot associations. Particularly what each association typically accept into training. Quite a few require a masters license, many more it would be difficult to get into with anything less.
I am currently sailing as second mate, 25 years old. Are there any associations that prefer taking younger pilots and if so which are they?
Florida I am aware you test into after a year sailing on second mate unlimited. I am also aware of the level of nepotism in certain areas such as Charleston, Louisiana … but all Input is welcome. Understanding the level of nepotism in each association would also be incredibly helpful.
Virginia has an apprentice program. I this it’s 6yrs and they prefer to train from the ground up, so I’m assuming they’d prefer younger candidates. Sandy Hook has an age limit for apprentices (30) I think. Otherwise, start googling pilots associations and look at their requirements. If you meet them and you wanna shell out a bunch of $$ and time for the test, go for it. Washington State just announced their next exam for spring of 2024. Seems to be a good strategy, if that’s the route you wanna go, would be to pick a region of the country you want to work in and start networking, asking questions about next steps. Good luck…