The local regulation concerning pilots in Dunkirk dates fromSeptember the first 1583.

The organization and the professional culture of pilots footprints noble tradition of service and solidarity.

Tradition does not dispute the novelty. She accompanies it. The Dunkirk pilots were able to adapt their services to the needs of maritime trade in anticipating technical and economic developments.

The station nowadays involves 75 people including 29 maritime pilots who carry out their mission of public service 24 hours on 24, 365 days a year, using a helicopter and five pilot boats and in virtually all weather conditions.

Station pilotage maritime de Dunkerque

With around 6500 annual operations, the pilot station of Dunkirk ensures the efficiency and safety of traffic flow of the port of Dunkirk. The threshold for compulsory pilotage, the limits of compulsory pilotage areas, number of pilots, pilot boats and helicopter and all rules governing the organization are established by prefectural decree approving the local regulation.

Management of the pilot station is provided by the Professional Union of pilots under the supervision exercised by the Minister of Transport, the purpose of the union is to manage our employees (TOV, drivers, secretary and accounting dept, workshop mechanics, helicopter pilots and mechanics, owners and mechanics of naval equipment, maintenance personnel) as well as the management of the equipment.

The office is located in Dunkirk on the Neptune site as well as the new build ship handling Transas simulator inaugurated in Septembre 2015. The maintenance of naval equipment and automobile is completed in the workshop next to the office building and across the Eastern pontoon.

Two stations are manned at all time:

The eastern pilot station with :

  • The office where an operator (TOV) assisted by a car driver ensures permanent contact with the radar station, the harbour office and all services involved.
  • The eastern pontoon permanently manned by our seamen, ensure transfer of pilots on Dunkirk east roads and to the E12 Buoy.

The western pilot station with :

  • The radar station located at “Les Hemmes de Marck” ensuring a continuous monitoring carried out by a pilot in contact with the operator in the administration office, the harbour office and all services involved.
  • The helicopter base on the airfield at Calais, maintains a 24hours availability and maintenance of the helicopter.
  • The western pontoon in Calais to ensure transfer of pilots in the Dyck area.