 When a pilot arrives on the bridge of a ship and the words "To Master's Orders on Pilot's Advice" appear in the log book, the legal relationship between the pilot and the shipmaster is acknowledged.
The pilot's role is to assist the Master by bringing local expertise and by offering appropriate advice during the ship's passage.
The International Code on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for seafarers, adopted in 1995, specifies that the presence on board of a pilot does not relieve the Master from his duties and obligations for the safety of the ship. In practice, it is the pilot who is responsible for the conduct of the ship after exchanging information with the Master on navigation procedures, local conditions and the ship's characteristics.
 ports and docks, pilots provide local knowledge and experience to ensure navigation safety and to protect the environment. They have an overall appreciation of local regulations and unique conditions existing in the port area which cannot be expected from a shipmaster. Pilots are aware of the ferries'doings, of dredging, floating cranes, local actions and also other hazards to navigation.  They provide communication with port authorities, maritime traffic services, tugs and other ships.Through daily practice, pilots develop specific skills and techniques to handle ships in narrow waters and restricted areas surrounded by port installations. They navigate ships day and night, through dense fog or high winds, thus avoiding delays and carrying the optimum cargo capacity through the available channel depths to the benefit of the port and the ship.
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