(1)Subject to the provisions of this section, if a competent harbour authority considers that in the interests of safety it should do so, it shall direct that pilotage shall be compulsory for ships navigating in any area or part of an area in relation to which its duty under section 2(1) above is exercisable; and such a direction is referred to in this Act as a “pilotage direction”.
(2)A pilotage direction—
(a)may, subject to subsection (3) below, apply to all ships or all ships of a description specified in the direction (subject to any exceptions there specified);
(b)shall specify the area and circumstances in which it applies;
(c)may specify the circumstances in which an authorised pilot in charge of a ship to which it applies is to be accompanied by an assistant who is also an authorised pilot; and
(d)may contain such supplementary provisions as the authority considers appropriate.
(3)A pilotage direction shall not apply to ships of less than 20 metres in length or to fishing boats of which the registered length is less than 47.5 metres.
(4)Before giving a pilotage direction a competent harbour authority shall consult—
(a)the owners of ships which customarily navigate in the area to which the proposed direction would apply; and
(b)any other persons who carry on harbour operations within the harbour of the authority;
or, in either case, such persons as it considers to be representative of them.
(5)If a competent harbour authority considers that pilotage should be compulsory for ships navigating in any area outside its harbour it shall apply for a harbour revision order to be made under section 14 of the M1Harbours Act 1964, or in Northern Ireland a harbour order under section 1 of the M2Harbours Act (Northern Ireland) 1970, to extend the limits within which the authority has jurisdiction for the purposes of pilotage to include that area and a pilotage direction given by it shall not apply to that area unless the limits have been so extended.
(6)A competent harbour authority shall arrange for any pilotage direction given by it to be published in such manner as to bring it to the notice of those persons likely to be interested.