GCOOS Recreational Boaters

Channel History

The Port of Houston was officially opened in 1914 with some fanfare but it was several months later, in 1915 when the first seagoing ship arrived. However, there were pilots on hand to guide the first ships up the channel. Almost nothing is on the record about these first pilots. We don't even know their names.

By 1921 there were five pilots commissioned by the Governor of the State of Texas as Branch Pilots for the Houston Ship Channel. They formed the present Houston Pilots Organization when they signed Articles of Association in 1921. In 1923 they came under jurisdiction of the Houston Port Authority with the Port Commissioners acting as Pilots Commissioners as they do now. The Pilot Office does have the records and the names of these five pilots and it is assumed that two of them were the original two pilots mentioned earlier.

Texas State Pilots Association

Each organization of State Pilots has a Board of Pilot Commissioners that provides oversight according to state statute regarding all aspects of pilotage, including the appointment process, approving training programs, and Pilot Review Boards.

In 2003, the Houston Pilots boarded and disembarked nearly 15,000 vessels at the Houston Galveston Seabouy and as of this month, 12,000.

Boarding Vessels

Boarding vessels at the sea buoy can be very precarious. A “pilot boat” is used to shuttle the pilot out to the vessels for boarding and also is there when a pilot disembarks.

                                                                                                               

                                               

Boarding Vessels

The Houston Pilots are one of three U. S. Associations that maintain a pilot boat off shore available to board ships at all times. We have 3 SWATH vessels that allows this availability, the Lone Star, the Houston and the new Bayou City.

                                                                                                               

                                               

“Bayou City”

Nearly twice an hour the Houston Pilot boat maneuvers alongside a vessel

Some days look like a never ending procession of vessels creeping over the horizon bringing the goods to sustain a great city

Every hour, every day, the Houston Pilots ensure the safety of our navigable waters, provide the fist defense of our marine environment and ensure the economic viability of our great state

The Port of Houston is the sixth largest port in the world, it ranks 1st in foreign tonnage and 2nd in over all tonnage. 2003 economic numbers revealed that port-related businesses supported more than 287,000 direct and indirect jobs throughout Texas while generating nearly $11 billion in revenues.

More than 6,300 vessels and 150,000 barges transport goods through the port each year linking Houston with the world.

Ships, towboats, offshore supply vessels and ferries make the Houston Ship Channel a truly dynamic environment.

The Houston Ship Channel services some of the largest refineries and petrochemical manufacturing facilities in the world.

Petroleum and petrochemicals vessels that transit the channel are a large part of the revenue produced annually.

The port handles over 1 million containers per year.

Vehicles, machinery and electrical components transiting through the port are valued at over 5.2 billion dollars per year.

The Houston Ship Channel truly is the conduit of Texas business to the world markets.

To facilitate the growth of both numbers and sizes of ships the Houston Pilots have lead the world in vessel handling techniques.

The infamous “Texas Chicken” was developed on our narrow and constricted channel.

At a little over one half mile, the vessels “Break” towards the sides of the channel.

As the bows draw parallel the water between the ship’s bow and vertical channel sides repel.

The vessels begin to swing back towards one another.

And pass parallel. Once past the vessels are allowed to continue to dive back to the centerline of the channel.

The Houston Pilots, protecting our waterways and ensuring the economic stability for the city of Houston, and the great state of Texas.