Pilotage Exemption Certificates (PEC) are available to masters or deck officers with the required experience of sailing into and out of Harwich Harbour on a regular basis.

Harwich Haven Authority is responsible for assessing applicants and issuing Pilotage Exemption Certificates; these are based on very specific criteria and applicable only to the vessels the applicants regularly sail on.

As well as having the required experience, a Pilot Exemption Certificate applicant must undergo in-depth training and sit an exam to prove that he or she has the required skills and knowledge of the approaches, estuary and port to navigate to their berth without a pilot.

Pilotage Exemption Certificates must be renewed annually. Harwich Haven Authority has a statutory duty to regularly review the training needs of Pilotage Exemption Certificate holders.

How to apply for a Pilotage Exemption Certificate

Download the application form below, complete and return.

• PEC Application Class A/B (Microsoft Word/PDF)

All applicants will be interviewed to ensure you meet the Authority’s strict requirements. You will also be assessed during passage into and out of the Harbour by an Authority Pilot. The number of passage assessments you will complete will be determined by the parameters of the vessel. Further information can be found in the Information for Masters and PEC Holders document.  Once all assessments have been completed you will sit an exam. The exemption certificate will be issued if the pass mark is achieved.

• PEC Towage Familiarisation (Microsoft Word/PDF)
• PEC Training Record Log (Microsoft Word/PDF)