Port Pilots

Ensuring a safe flow of ship traffic to and from Los Angeles Harbor, the Los Angeles Port Pilots maintain round-the-clock service. Based at Berth 68, pilots board arriving vessels in the vicinity of the Los Angeles Sea Buoy to guide incoming ships to dock. They also provide assistance to outbound ships.

The Los Angeles Pilot Service dates back to 1907, when the Port of Los Angeles was founded. Today, the Pilot service employs 31 dedicated professional, combining the skills of pilots, dispatchers and boat crew to provide expert pilotage services to Port of Los Angeles customers.

The mission of the Los Angeles Pilot Service is to provide safe, reliable and efficient pilotage and marine services. Over the last decade, the Los Angeles Pilots have safely completed more than 52,000 vessel movements. They are amongst the best-trained pilots in the maritime industry. After a rigorous two-year training program, each pilot attends manned-model shiphandling courses in Grenoble, France, once every four years. Each pilots also attends ship simulator training every two years.

The Los Angeles Pilots have an average of 33 years of marine experience and 16 years of piloting experience in San Pedro Bay.

Learn more by visiting the Los Angeles Port Pilots website at www.lapilots.org.

Click here to view the Port of Los Angeles Mariners Guide online.  For more information, or to request a printed copy, contact the following:

To obtain additional information about vessel traffic monitoring in Los Angeles Harbor, contact the Southern California Marine Exchange at (310) 832-6411.