History of Pilotage Services in

Sweden

Introduction

A maritime pilot, marine pilot, harbor pilot, port pilot, ship pilot, or simply pilot, is a mariner who maneuvers ships through dangerous or congested waters, such as harbors or river mouths. They are navigational experts possessing knowledge of the particular waterway such as its depth, currents, and hazards. The Swedish term is “Lots”. Marine pilotage or piloting refers to activities related to the navigation of vessels in which the pilot acts as an advisor to the master of the vessel and as an expert on the local waters and their navigation. Pilotage is also the name of the compensation paid to a licensed ship's pilot. A lighthouse is a tower, building, or another type of structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses and to serve as a navigational aid for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways. Lighthouses mark dangerous coastlines, hazardous shoals, reefs, rocks, and safe entries to harbors. The image on the top of the page shows a Swedish pilot boat in Brofjärden, Bohuslän, Sweden. Wikipedia.

Funding of the Pilotage Services

Under the Swedish Maritime Code of 1667, ships arriving to and departing from Swedish ports must utilize the services of a pilot, i.e. compulsory pilotage. The master of the ship paid a fee, known as “lotspenning” in Swedish, to the pilot for his services, a fee the pilot was entitles to keep as his compensation. The Swedish term for a maritime pilot, “Lots” was introduced then, replacing the older terms replaced the older “ledsagare” and “styrman”. Lotspenning was the name of the compensation paid to a licensed ship's pilot. The first settled pilotage fee (Swe: Lotsavgift) was based on the vessel’s draft (draught), the distance to be piloted, and the nature of the fairway in question. From 1930, the pilotage fee was determined by the Swedish Pilotage Service (Lotsverket) and was based on the tonnage of the vessel and the distance to be piloted. The Pilotage Act (Lotsförordningen) stipulated which vessels must utilize the services of a pilot. In certain fairways, ships had to pay the pilotage fee even if they were exempted from piloting. About 60% of the pilotage went to the Government of Sweden while the remaining 40% to the pilots at the respective pilot station. The pilots’ share was distributed equally among the pilots at the station. This old principle with pilots only being paid with the assigned part of the pilotage fee but no salary remained until 1915. However, from 1915, the pilots were paid a regular salary complemented with extra additions and the pilotage fee was shared between the government and the pilots. During the centuries, the lighthouse and piloting services have been funded in a few different ways. From 1758, to fund piloting and lighthouse services, keepers and pilots, and the maintenance of day beacons and sea marks, the Crown introduced a new fee called “Lots- och båkavgift”, a pilotage and lighthouse fee. This fee was to be paid by all ships that called at certain ports; the fee varied from port to port and was based on each vessel’s tonnage and draught (draft). The name of the fee has varied but on 27 June 1826, the was officially called "Fyr- och båkavgift". From 1870, the fee was only taken out on international shipping. Domestic shipping was exempted from the charge. In 1922, more exemptions to the charge were introduced.

Pilotage Services - History

The maritime pilot profession is incredibly old. It is not possible to exactly establish when piloting began but the need for navigational guidance to mariners along the shores gradually grow when shipping increased. Already in medieval times, there were regulations about the conducting of piloting. The piloting acts laid down that shipmasters unfamiliar with the fairways must utilize the services of a pilot, i.e., an advisor/expert on the local waters and their navigation. In Sweden, pilots who mismanaged their jobs were imposed severe punishments. Even the slightest misdemeanor was punished. The penalty could be anything from a fine, running the gauntlet to loss of life if a man-of-war ran aground or was shipwrecked if it were proved that it was due to the pilot’s negligence. Even if a pilot error did not cause an accident, he still might have to run the gauntlet, a severe punishment involving caning. Until 1881, shipping accidents that happened during piloting, caused by pilot errors, the pilots were facing severe punishments since it was the military courts that handled these types of cases, i.e., the pilots were to stand trial in a court-martial. Abuse of alcohol probably causing most pilot cautions. The Pilotage regulation issued on 29 October 1798 by the Admiralty of Sweden, § 73 stipulated: “The pilot that of ignorance, recklessness, neglect, or under the influence of alcohol during piloting causes a ship to run aground, shall, independent if any damage is done, pay the penalty of 15 pairs of the rod….” As soon as pilotage was completed, the pilot must, without delay, return to his pilot station. A stop by a coastal bar or restaurant wasn’t allowed. Under the 1696 pilotage regulation, the principal pilot at a station was responsible to make sure that his pilots stayed sober and were hard-working. Most pilots had no other compensation than their share of the pilotage fees (“Lotspenningarna”), so the income was dependent on the number of mariners needing piloting. Pilots assigned a pilot dwelling could supplement their livelihood with farming and fishing and they were also exempted from income taxes. Thereby they were able to support their families fairly well, also during winters when there was no piloting. However, from time to time, the Swedish Pilotage Service (Lotsverket) was needed to temporally supplement the pilots with basic pay. This compensation was very low, rather alms than salaries. Further, each pilot was obliged to take on a pilot apprentice who was to be taught piloting so he later would pass the pilotage exams.

1500s

In the 1500s, the pilotage services were administered by aldermen appointed permanently by the civic administration in seaport towns. The pilots took the oath by the town council and signed the oath form. In 1535, island Landsort in the southern Stockholm archipelago was a known pilot station offering pilotage. Initially, it was foremost fishermen or other inhabitants of the archipelago that carried out pilotage. Gradually, when the need for pilotage grew a formal pilotage service evolved. King Gustav Vasa of Sweden (regent 1521 - 1560) introduced the so-called lotshemman, a system of freeholders who in exchange for reduced taxation and payment in kind (such as grain and salt) offered pilotage services. I some cases they also were obliged to mark fairways and maintain sea marks. The need for official regulations increased thereby. They were also obliged to perform pilotage for the Swedish Royal Navy for free. In 1579, the organization of pilots and pilotage commenced in Sweden. The pilotage services were then ordered under the Admiralty, the Navy.

1600s

The Swedish pilotage services grew tremendously in the 1600s, administered by the Admiralty. In 1655, some of the former “Lotshemman” (Pilot holders) were reorganized into a new type of holders called “Strymanshemman”. These freeholders were obliged to provide pilots in their designated fairways. At this time, a person who acts as a navigational advisor to the master of the vessel (pilots) was called “ledsagare” or “styrman” (mate) in Swedish, hence the name “styrmanshemman”. At the end of the 1600s, the name was changed to “Lots” which still is the official Swedish name for “Maritime Pilots”. Under the Swedish Maritime Code of 1667, shipmasters must utilize the services of a pilot, i.e. compulsory pilotage. The Maritime Code was introduced by King Karl XI of Sweden. The Code consists of 8 sections with a total of 120 chapters. The duties of pilots were regulated by the Maritime Code. It was stipulated in the Code that the shipmasters must consult a pilot in fairways where there was compulsory piloting. The Code also gave the pilot the right to charge for his service and the right to board and lodging aboard. Under the maritime laws of 1671 and 1674, no other than pilots and the Admiralty’s “styrmän” (mates) were allowed to peruse pilotage in Swedish waters. In 1677, a National Pilotage Service was established when the Board for Pilot and Lighthouse Services (Swe: Överstyrelse för lots- och fyrväsendet) was founded, ordered under the Admiralty Board (Amiralitetskollegium). Under a decree on 19 September 1696, the Royal Board of Pilot Services (Swe: Kungliga Lotsverket) was established, which like its predecessor sorted under the Admiralty Board. The Board opened a pilotage office in Stockholm the same year. During the following 40 years, the pilotage services grew greatly and many pilot stations were established. At the end of the 1600s, there were 97 pilot stations and 10 lighthouse stations. five of the lighthouses were in real Sweden (Nidingen, Kullen, Falsterbo, Landsort och Örskär) and 5 in the Swedish provinces in the Baltic region (today’s Estonia). Also, the Lighthouse Services were organized under the same responsible authority as the Pilotage Services, the Royal Board of Pilot Services, subordinated the Admiralty. The head of the Board was titled Pilot Director (Swe: Lotsdirektör).

1700s

The Swedish Pilotage Services were organized into several districts. In 1724, the Western and Northern Pilotage Districts were established and in 1739 the Southern Pilotage District. In 1756, the Eastern Pilotage District was established by dividing off the eastern part of the Northern District (which also comprised Finland and Åland). In 1809, when Sweden surrendered Finland to Russia in a war, the Eastern Pilotage District thereby vanished too. Until 1769, there were many amendments to the Pilotage Act. On 29 October 1798, a completely new Pilotage Act was passed including pilotage, lighthouses, day beacons, etc. Further, the responsibility of these services was transferred from the Admiralty Board to the Board of the Army Fleet. The new Act created opportunities for standardized rules and regulations for the pilotage services in Sweden.

1800s

In 1803, the Royal Board of Pilot Services (Lotsverket) was transferred to the new Management of Naval Affairs (Swe: Förvaltningen av Sjöärendena), a Government Agency replacing the former Admiralty Board. On 24 February 1809, the Pilot Services and the then-new Hydrographic Survey Corps (Swe: Sjömätningscorpsen) were merged. On 20 May 1870, the navy ships were exempted from pilotage. On 21 December 1871, the pilot and lighthouse services were detached from the Management of Naval Affairs and transferred to a civil administrative agency. From 1 January 1872, pilotage and the lighthouse services were organized under the Swedish Royal Board of Pilotage Service (Kungliga Lotsstyrelsen or simply Lotsverket), a civil government agency. The pilotage was then organized into three districts, each run by a District manager. Each district consisted of several local pilot sections. The agency’s service consisted of 153 pilot stations, 66 lighthouse stations, and 10 lighthouse vessels. From 1888, the head of the agency was titled Pilotage Director-General (Swe: Generallotsdirektör). The image to the right shows logotype of the Royal Board of Pilotage Service (Kungliga Lotssyrelsen). Image: Fyrwiki.

1900s

In 1904, the pilotage service was organized in six pilotage districts: Upper North, Lower North, Central, East, South, and West District. Until 1920, the Swedish Pilotage Service was organized under the Department of Maritime Affairs (Swe: Sjöfartsdepartementet) but was then transferred to the Department of Trade and Industry (Swe: Handelsdepartementet). In 1956, the Swedish Royal Maritime Board (Swe: Kungliga Sjöfartsstyrelsen) was founded to which the Pilotage Service was transferred. In 1969, the Maritime Board was reorganized into The Swedish Maritime Administration (Swe: Sjöfartsverket). In 1987, this agency became a government-owned company.

Pilot Stations

It was common that pilot stations were established at the same locations as lighthouse stations. Like the keepers at lighthouse stations, the pilots at pilot stations were provided with dwellings too where the pilots lived with their families. The pilots were continuously keeping a lookout over the surrounding sea to find out whether there were any ships with a pilot signal flag hoisted. The signal flag G (Golf) is internationally used to signal "I require a pilot", and signal flag H (Hotel) is used to signal "Pilot on board". The maritime signal flag G is a yellow and blue vertically striped flag and signal flag H white and red vertically striped flag. The images to the right show signal flags G (yellow/blue) and H (white/red). Image. Wikipedia. In former days, mariners had no other way to communicate with the pilot stations than with signal flags. The pilot stations were therefore usually provided with lookout towers where the pilots were watching out for ships requiring pilots. At pilot stations located beside a lighthouse station, the pilots could use the lighthouse tower as an observation tower. In bad weather with poor visibility, mariners could call for a pilot with a foghorn or a steam whistle. At the pilot stations, a pilot signal (Swe: Lotssignal) was hoisted informing mariners that there were pilots available at the station. This signal was in the shape of a sphere (ball), usually black with a white horizontal stripe. The pilot signal was either hoisted or lowered. • Hoisted pilot signal meant that pilots were available at the station. • Lowered pilot signal meant that all pilots were out. The image to the right shows Brämön lighthouse and pilot station, south of Sundsvall, around 1900. At the top of the pole to the right of the lighthouse, is a pilot signal hoisted. The pilot signal looks like a ball and means when hoisted, that pilot is available. The pilots at Brämö had no lookout, instead, they used the lighthouse tower as the lookout. The ladder visible in the left of the photo was used by the pilots to get to the lookout since the Master Lightkeeper wasn’t allowing the pilots to use the spiral staircase in the tower. Photo Lotsverket. Pilot boats are specially marked, and the first distinctive mark used by pilot boats was a square white flag. In 1862, the pilot flag was changed, now bisected vertically into two colors, usually white and blue, which added to the boat's visibility. Already in 1882, the pilot signal was changed again, now the pilot boats were identified with a large vertical red stripe on the mainsail. The pilots boarded the sailing ships from small sailing boats, which was exceedingly difficult in rough weather conditions. The weather conditions could be troublesome for the pilots, from severe storms to very calm periods. The pilots were therefore often away from home for several days at a time. As soon as the pilot was aboard a vessel, he was in charge of the navigation. The image shows a pilot cutter on its way from the pilot station in Sandhamn to a vessel requesting a pilot, 1907. Note the pilot signal, the vertical red strip on the mainsail. Image: Stockholmslotsarna. In 1894, there were 148 pilot stations in Sweden, distributed on 8 pilot regions. In total there were 842 pilots employed. The head of a pilot region was a Pilot Captain (Swe: Lotskapten). Within each pilot region, there were several pilot and lighthouse stations. The head of a pilot station was a Pilot Alderman (Swe: Lotsålderman) and after 1909 Pilot Supervisor (Swe: Lotsförman). Depending on the size of a pilot station, there were a different number of pilots employed. Major pilot stations had 20 pilots or more employed. Examples of a few Swedish pilot stations and their respective number of pilots in 1894: • Bremön 21 • Agö 13 • Örskär 2 • Furusund 15 • Sandhamn 22 • Huvudskär 6 • Landsort 11 • Stockholm 28 • Kalmar 14 • Åhus 6 • Öresunds södra station 21 • Öresunds norra station 19 • Brännö 19 • Göteborg 18 • Marstrand 6 • Kärringön 7

Pilot Occupations

In 1820, the pilot ranks Lotsålderman (Pilot Alderman), Mästerlots (Master Pilot), and Sekundlots (Pilot Apprentice) were introduced in Sweden. The pilot staff at the pilot stations were usually called Kronolots (State Pilots). They were graduated and employed by the State, i.e., qualified licensed pilots. A State Pilot had one of the following ranks: Master Pilot (Mästerlots), Ordinary Pilot (Ordinarie Lots), Extra Pilot (Extra Lots), or Pilot Apprentice (Lotslärling). Pilot Apprentice (Lotslärling) was a pilot trainee, i.e., a pilot going through an apprenticeship. After the apprenticeship, the pilot had to pass an examination to be qualified. The examination was performed by a Pilot Captain, assisted by the pilot Station Supervisor and one or two qualified pilots. If the apprentice passed the exam he received his pilot certificate (Swe: Styrsedel) which entitled him to perform pilotage. Extra Pilot (Extra Lots) was the term for an apprentice that just passed the pilot exam and received his pilot certificate (license) and thereby qualified to pilot vessels up to the maximum draught (draft) in the fairways of his pilot district. An Extra Pilot could temporally be permitted to perform pilotage in his district until he was officially appointed to Ordinary Pilot by the Swedish Royal Board of Pilotage Service. Ordinary Pilot (Ordinarie Lots) is a qualified pilot appointed by the Swedish Royal Board of Pilotage Service. A pilot that had been serving well for 15 years could be appointed Master Pilot (Mästerlots). An experienced Master Pilot could be appointed as the head of a pilot station and ranked as a Pilot Supervisor (Lotsförman), i.e., Station Manager. The Pilot Supervisor was usually obliged to do pilotage assignments too. Before 1909, this rank was called Pilot Alderman. The head at major pilot stations was called Chief Pilot (Överlots), a Senior Pilot Supervisor. Unlike the Pilot Supervisor, the Chief Pilot was exempted from the duty to do pilotage assignments. Between 1881 and 1945, there were two more pilot ranks, Pilot Captain (Lotskapten) and Pilot Lieutenant (Lotslöjtnant). The Pilot Captain was the head of a Pilot District and the Pilot Lieutenant was his second in command. In 1945, the rank of Pilot Captain became Pilot Director (Lotsdirektör) and the Pilot Lieutenant became Pilot Inspector (Lotsinspektör). Besides the State Pilots (Kronolotsar) there were also the Värner Pilots (pilots on Lake Värnern), Canal Pilots, and Harbor Pilots. A pilot badge served as an official sign for pilots on duty. The badge (Swe: Lotsbricka) was made of brass with the text KRONOLOTS (State Pilot) imprinted on the badge under a Royal Crown. All men entering service as maritime pilots had to take the oath, a Pilot Oath. When pilotage was organized under the Admiralty the pilots served under martial laws.

The Life as a Maritime Pilot

The pilots were continuously keeping a lookout over the surrounding sea to find out whether there were any incoming ships. If there was a ship with hoisted signal flag “G”, "I require a pilot" the pilots set sail on their pilot cutter (Lotskutter) to reach the incoming vessels. In older days the pilots used their own fishing boats or rowing boats. Early pilot boats were developed from single-masted cutters. Bad weather conditions with hard winds could be troublesome for the pilots. To pull the pilot boat alongside a large vessel in stormy weather was not easy. The pilot boat pulled alongside on the lee-side and then the pilot boarded the vessel. The image shows a pilot cutter on the way to an incoming sailing ship at the end of the 1800s. Note the pilot signal, the vertical red strip on the pilot boat’s mainsail. Image: Sjöhistoriska museet. In calm weather conditions or poor winds, the pilot had to row the pilot boat to the incoming vessel. When the pilot was on board the vessel, the pilot boat was moored to the vessel’s stern in tow. Pilots were entitled to board and lodging aboard the vessel requiring piloting. The pilots were also entitled to eatables for their return journey. Once the pilot finished the pilotage of an incoming or outgoing vessel, he sailed or rowed back to the pilot station. This had to be performed independent of the weather condition in an open pilot boat. It was unusual that the pilot’s uniform was still dry upon arrival back at the pilot station. It was a risky business to cast off the pilot boat from a large ship in stormy weather; to stay away from the vessel when the pilot boat was tossed about by the storm with crests of the waves washing over the pilot. Rainy and windy weather conditions made the pilots wet and cold. It was common with older pilots suffering from rheumatism and aching joints due the working conditions they were submitted to. Pilots had no regular working hours, they worked as long as there were mariners requiring pilotage, 24x7. However, the number of pilotage missions per month varied over the year. In Scandinavia, in winters when the sea was frozen solid, there was no shipping during the era of the sailing ships. On the other hand, during summers the pilots were very busy. If a Stockholm pilot was piloting a vessel from the port of Stockholm to Sandhamn in the outer Stockholm archipelago, he had an awfully long way back home. It could take the pilot several days to row back to his pilot station in calm weather. If he was lucky he could take on a piloting mission in Sandhamn on his return journey back to the port of Stockholm. However, the Sandhamn pilots was the first choice for pilotage into Stockholm. The image shows a pilot boarding a sailing ship, a schooner. Xylography in the paper “Ny Illustrerad Tidning”, 1883. Image Wikipedia. When the pilots were on duty, they had to be at the pilot station waiting for their next pilot mission. They never knew when an incoming vessel would show up requiring pilotage before the arrival of the telegraph or the telephone, so waiting at home, farming or fishing wasn’t an option. The introduction of the optical telegraph in the 1830s was a relief to the pilots. Pilots on call to take a pilot mission could then occupy themselves with other matters while waiting until they received the message for pilotage. During the era of sailing ships, the mariners were entirely dependent on the direction of the wind when sailing in fairways. The ideal situation was to sail to port without tacking or anchoring. To guide large vessels in fairways, the pilots needed great knowledge and experience of the fairways and be observant of all the dangers that could arise during the pilotage. When steamships became common during the second half of the 1800s, the working conditions improved for the pilots. Wind direction was no longer a great problem. Some exemption from pilotage for steamers was introduced in 1881 but was reinstated already in 1894. Being a maritime pilot was a hard job and the pilots had usually no other payment than the so-called “lotspengar”, their share of the pilotage fee. Before the 1820s, the pilots were obliged to piloting navy ships without any compensation. The system with lotspengar” wasn’t abolished until 1915. From 1915, the pilots were paid a salary on regular basis complemented with extra additions. The pilots were state employees, and they revived a similar pension like the navy seamen.

Pilot Uniforms

Like the lighthouse staff, the pilot staff wore a uniform. The lighthouse and pilotage services were organized under the same responsible authority. Therefore, the lighthouse keepers and pilots adopted a more or less identical uniform. Only cap badges and service insignias separated the two groups. However, the two had the same type of rank insignias. The pilots wore an anchor as their service insignia on their lapels and the lighthouse staff a star. The early pilots wore no specific uniform but were dressed like other people in coastal areas. In the 1798 Pilotage Act, the Admiralty ruled that the pilots must wear a Pilot Badge as an official sign, an oval brass badge with an anchor, and the word KRONOLOTS (State Pilot) imprinted under a royal crown. The question of a formal standardized uniform for the pilots was raised in the early 1870s. The issue about uniforms for the staff had been on the agenda for a long time and model uniforms were suggested. In 1881, the first regulations regarding uniforms for maritime pilots and lighthouse keepers were issued. The staff then received a standardized uniform and thereby uniformly dressed. The color and cut of the 1881 uniform were similar to the Navy uniforms, i.e. dark blue. The peaked cap was equipped with a cap badge with a yellow anchor and the jacket was double-breasted. Rank insignias were worn on the sleeves in the form of chevrons, pointing downwards. Master Pilots wore two chevrons, and Pilots one. The Chief Pilots (Överlots) wore three chevrons. An anchor was worn on the lapels as their service insignia. In the 1920s, the chevrons were replaced with stripes. Master Pilots then wore three stripes of the same width, Pilots wore 3 stripes, two wide stripes and one thinner. The Chief Pilot wore 2 wide stripes of the same width as the Master Pilot and a third even wider stripe. The rank insignias for Pilot Captains and Pilot Lieutenants were similar to the one worn by Navy Officers. Besides the rank insignias, the pilot uniform was at large unchanged until the 1980s. Pilot Uniforms at the beginning of the 1900s:

Related Links

• Lighthouse services - History • Swedish Customs Service - History • Swedish Coast Guard - History

Source References

• LotsarnaStockholm • Svenska Fyrsällskapet • DigitaltMuseum • Wikipedia • Nordisk familjebok / Uggleupplagan. 30. • Sjöfartsverket Top of page

Pilot Boats

A pilot boat (Swe: lotsbåt) is a type of boat used to transport maritime pilots between land and the inbound or outbound ships that they are piloting. The Swedish pilot boats are today owned and operated by the Swedish Maritime Administration (Swe: Sjöfartsverket). A crew member on a pilot boat is called “båtman”; they run and maintain the pilot boats and transport the pilots to and from the vessels in need of pilotage. With outgoing vessels, a pilot boat returns the pilot to land after the ship has successfully been piloting in coastal waters. Pilots were required to have quick transport to get from the pilot station to the incoming ships. They initially used their own fishing boats to reach the incoming vessels which led to the development of the specialized pilot boat. Early pilot boats were developed from single-masted cutters. These were effectively lightweight and over-powered single- masted boats with large, steeply angled keels, making them deep draft under power and shallow draft in lighter sail. When open sailing cutters were in use it was rather unpractical for the pilots to wear a uniform, exposed to the weather as they were. Therefore, uniforms were foremost used at inspections and other official gatherings. Not until the arrival of motor-driven pilot boats, the pilots were able to get to the vessels reasonably dry-shod and the pilot uniforms were now being used while serving. The first motor-driven Swedish pilot boat was delivered in 1904 to the Oxelesund pilot station. Before then, the pilots used sailing cutters and at times rowing boats (Swe: Styreka). However, the powerboats were soon superseded by the sailing cutters. The old sailing cutters were usually of the typed used locally known as allmogebåtar in Sweden. Pilot boats are specially marked. From 1882, the pilot boats were identified with a large vertical red stripe on the mainsail. At night they had special navigation lights: a lantern with a white and red gleam. Today, the pilot boats are marked with the word PILOT written in clearly visible, large, letters on the sides. Pilot boats often also use bright colors to make them clearly visible and distinctive in even the worst conditions. Swedish pilot boats have an orange color. This applies to the so-called pilot tenders: the vessels that go to the ships to bring the pilot onboard arriving ships or pick them up from departing ships. The image to the right shows a pilot cutter in the Smögen harbor in 1925. Photographer unknown. Image: Sjöhistoriska museet. ID: Fo13609A. Images of Pilot Boats:

Schools for the Pilots’ Children

On 19 June 1845, the Admiralty issued a decree regarding the establishment of a school service for the children of pilots and lightkeepers in remote coastal areas. In the 1860s, the Royal Board of Pilot Services took over the responsibility of these schools. There were two types of schools for the children; ambulatory and stationary schools. Ambulatory schools were schools where the teachers taught children in more than one school, i.e. they moved between schools. Stationary schools were more like regular schools and they were in major stations with many children. Mer information om Schools for Pilots’ Children.

Piloting Today

Masters of vessels with a length of 70 meters or more or exceeding the width of 14 meters, entering Swedish waters must utilize the services of a pilot. However, masters that operate a regular service in the same Swedish fairways can be exempted from pilotage. Modern pilot boats are built to withstand heavy seas and bumping against large vessels. They are high- powered and hence both very quick and durable purpose-built boats. The Swedish pilot boats are painted orange. The pilot is taken aboard a pilot boat to the vessel requiring pilotage by a “båtsman”. When the pilot boat is pulled alongside the vessel, the pilot goes on board. The word PILOT or LOTS is written in visible, large, letters on both sides of the pilot boats. The Swedish pilots are employed by the Swedish Maritime Administration and there are about 215 pilots today.

Lifeboat Services

A rescue lifeboat is a boat rescue craft that is used to attend a vessel in distress, or its survivors, to rescue crew and passengers. It can be hand-pulled, sail-powered, or powered by an engine. Search and rescue (SAR) is the search for and provision of aid to people who are in distress or imminent danger, for example, air-sea rescue over water. Organized lifeboat services began in the UK in 1824 when the National Institution for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck was founded, soon afterward becoming the Royal National Institution for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck. In 1854, the Institution’s name was changed to its current name, Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) and in 1860 was granted a Royal Charter. The RNLI is a charity that saves lives around the coasts of the UK and in the Republic of Ireland. It has 238 lifeboat stations and operates 444 lifeboats today. A similar organization is the Swedish Sea Rescue Society (Swe: Sjöräddningssällskapet, SSRS), formally the Swedish Society for the Saving of Shipwrecked Persons. It is a Swedish voluntary organization that works with maritime search and rescue (SAR) on Swedish lakes and seas. The society runs 70 lifeboat stations, with over 250 rescue vessels and over 2.200 volunteers. The Swedish Sea Rescue Society was founded in 1907 and is completely non-profit, and receives no government funding. It is funded entirely by donations and membership fees. SSRS carries out more than 70% of all emergency calls in Sweden and its territorial waters. The image to the right shows the official flag of the Swedish Sea Rescue Society. Image: Wikipedia. The first salvage company (Southern Salvage Company) in Sweden was established in 1663 on a Royal Commission and the second one in 1729, Northern Salvage Company. Both companies had the exclusive right to perform all salvage work on ships and goods foundered or run aground along the shores and coastal waters within their respective regions. These companies were also responsible for the sea rescue operations around the coasts of Sweden until 1831 even if their main responsibility was salvage work. In 1810, a proposal was brought forward about the acquiring of lifeboats from the UK to be stationed around the coast of Sweden. However, the proposal was turned down. In the early 1850s, the Royal Navy Society (Kongl. Örlogsmannasällskapet (KÖMS)) in Karlskrona were campaigning for the acquisition of the same type of lifeboat equipment that was used at the time in Denmark. In 1854, the Swedish Parliament granted means for this and on 1 June 1854, Navy Lieutenant Carl Kleman was commissioned to go to Denmark to study the organization of the Danish lifeboat services and the equipment used. In 1855, Lieutenant Kleman was appointed Inspector of the Swedish Lifeboat stations subordinated “Förvaltningen för sjöärendena”, a naval authority (The Naval Staff). Kleman’s first assignment was to organize a Swedish sea rescue service (Lifeboat service). In 1855, the first Lifeboat stations were established in Mälarhusen near Sandhammaren and Brantevik, both in Skåne. The stations were equipped with lifeboats and rocket apparatus (Swe: raketapparat). The lifeboats were wooden boats made in Copenhagen and equipped with air-filled tanks which made the boats unsinkable. The lifeboats had a crew of 10 men, 8 oarsmen, and 2 helmsmen. The so-called rocket machine was used to shoot a rope from the shore to the disabled vessel which then was used to haul in the distressed aboard the vessel in a special rescue chair, kind of a cableway. At the end of the 1850s, and during the 1860s, the number of lifeboat stations increased and many new stations were established. In 1891, the lifeboat station in Mälarhusen was relocated to the Sandhammaren lighthouse station and the Master Lightkeeper thereby took over the responsibility of the lifeboat service station. The crews at the lifeboat stations consisted of an Inspector (chief), helmsmen, and oarsmen. The image shows the lifeboat and its crew in Sandhammaren around 1900. Image: Fyrwiki. In 1871, the Director of the Royal Board of Pilot Services took over the responsibility of the lifeboat services in Sweden including the funding of these. In 1956 the Swedish Pilotage Service was incorporated with the Swedish Maritime Administration including the responsibility for the lifeboat station. Today, The Swedish Sea Rescue Society (SSRS) carries out more than 70% of all emergency calls in Sweden and its territorial waters. The SSRS has an agreement with the Swedish Maritime Administration and the SSRS is an official part of Sweden’s Search and Rescue Services. The image shows a Danish lifeboat called out on a sea rescue mission at the beginning of the 1900s. Photographer unknown. Image: Sjöhistoriska museet. ID: Fo22942A.