Ship Pilots' Association Information 

Ship Pilots' Associations are organizations of ship pilots who are trained for specific ship channels or other dangerous waterways. These ship pilots are ferried out to deep draft ships waiting to enter into a narrow or dangerous waterway and then pilot that ship to its destination. No deep draft ship can enter into a port without a Pilot at the helm.

The Houston Ship Pilots' Association covers the ports on the Houston Ship Channel north of Galveston and Texas City, Texas. The ships they pilot wait in the Gulf of Mexico near the Galveston Jetties for the next available pilot to bring them to their destination.

The Galveston/Texas City Ship Pilots' Association covers all the ports in Galveston and Texas City. The ships waiting to enter those ports wait in the same area as the ships going to Houston.

The Sabine Ship Pilots' Association covers all of the ports along the Sabine Ship Channel, in both Texas and Louisiana. Those ships waiting to enter the Sabine Ship Channel remain at anchor off Sabine Pass.

The Freeport, or Brazos, Ship Pilots' Association covers the ports in the Brazos Harbor. Those ships wait off Freeport to enter.

The Aransas/Corpus Christi Ship Pilots' Association covers the entire Port of Corpus Christi and the surrounding areas. Thos ships wait off port Aransas to enter.

The Lake Charles Ship Pilots' Association covers the ports along the Calcasieu Ship Channel and into Lake Charles. Those ships wait off Moakey Island.

The Coast Guard does not control the operations of the Ship Pilots' Associations. They can terminate their operations without Coast Guard permission, based on their own criteria for dangerous conditions, such has heavy fog. The Coast Guard Vessel Traffic Service does keep track of when they are operating and how many ships are waiting to enter and leave the port.