In all the world’s major ports and waterways, marine pilots ensure safe navigation by taking charge of merchant ships through the local approaches. This technical profession requires precise knowledge of the nautical conditions specific to each port area.
The St. Lawrence River presents particular challenges for pilotage: strong tidal currents, seasonal variations in water levels and a narrow navigation channel along several sections. St. Lawrence pilots must therefore adapt to constantly changing conditions, which requires ongoing training and in-depth experience of the river.
Benoît Nayet is one of these pilots. More precisely a docking pilot, he oversees the mooring maneuvers of ships arriving from the sea as well as movements within the Port of Quebec. Only the most experienced pilots with additional training are responsible for these operations.
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Canada, Quebec, 2025-07-18. The 277-meter tanker Cap Corpus Christi arrives at the Port of Quebec escorted by tugboats.
Canada, Quebec, 2025-07-18. To assist him, the pilot uses a very precise GPS device that provides real-time information on position, speed, and water levels… all accurate to the centimeter..
Canada, Quebec, 2025-07-18. Another pilot boat performs a pilot rotation for a container ship. The pilots who accompanied the ship from Trois-Rivieres to Quebec will make way for another team that…
Canada, Quebec, 2025-07-18. This lamp may seem ordinary, but it serves as a reference point for Benoit, experienced in this maneuver.
Canada, Quebec, 2025-07-18. The pilot boat comes to pick up Benoit to bring him back to the Port of Quebec, where he will wait for the next large ship needing to dock at the Port of Quebec.
Canada, Quebec, 2025-07-18. Benoit Nayet has been a pilot on the Saint Lawrence for nearly 30 years. Every day, he helps ships maneuver in the Port of Quebec or navigate between Quebec and the Les…
Canada, Quebec, 2025-07-18. One of the three pilot boats used by the Corporation of Saint Laurent Pilots to carry out pilot transfers in the Port of Quebec. .
Canada, Quebec, 2025-07-18. It is from their office in the Port of Quebec where the St. Lawrence pilots wait to depart on a mission.
Canada, Quebec, 2025-07-18. Benoît Nayet, docking pilot at the Port of Quebec, boards a vessel to oversee the mooring operation of the tanker.
Canada, Quebec, 2025-07-18. Once on board, the pilot goes to the control station (the bridge), where he meets his fellow pilots who brought the ship from Les Escoumins for an essential briefing..
Canada, Quebec, 2025-07-18. From now on, Benoit will be the conductor and coordinate the maneuvers. He must remain in constant communication with the ship's captain, always at the helm, the Port of…
Canada, Quebec, 2025-07-18. View from the bridge of the tanker Corpus Christi..
Canada, Quebec, 2025-07-18. Once the ship is correctly positioned, all that remains is to moor it. This part is handled by the ship's crew and the terminal staff, with whom the pilot is also in…
Canada, Quebec, 2025-07-18. The Cap Corpus Christi arrives at the oil terminal. The challenging task of docking begins. To unload the oil, perfect alignment is required between the loading arm and…
Canada, Quebec, 2025-07-18. To assist him in his maneuver, the pilot communicates his instructions to the captain and the tugboats escorting the vessel.
Canada, Quebec, 2025-07-18. The maneuver is complete, the tanker is moored, and all that remains is to deliver its cargo; the pilot's role is finished.
Canada, Quebec, 2025-07-18.Benoît Nayet, docking pilot at the Port of Quebec, boards a 277-meter tanker to assist with maneuvering during its mooring at the Port of Quebec.
Canada, Quebec, 2025-07-18. It is from their office in the Port of Quebec where the St. Lawrence pilots wait to depart on a mission.