Pilot Exemption Certificates
Maritime New Zealand issue Pilot Exemption Certificates (PEC). The Harbourmaster is delegated by them to carry out PEC examinations and to keep local records.
Obtaining a Pilot Exemption Certificate (PEC)
To obtain a Pilot Exemption Certificate (PEC), Masters or Chief Mates must complete their company’s Structured Training Programme. Structured Training Programmes must be approved by Maritime New Zealand (Maritime NZ) and must be current.
After the structured training has been completed, the candidate should contact Auckland Harbour Control to arrange for their practical examination transits to be undertaken with a licenced pilot.
They should also contact the Harbourmasters Office to arrange their blank chart, written and oral examinations.
If successful in their examinations, candidates should then apply to Maritime NZ for the issue of their certificate.
Existing PEC holders
Existing PEC holders must comply with their company’s PEC Proficiency Plan or the Harbourmasters PEC Proficiency Plan for the certification to remain valid.
Existing PEC holders must undergo an annual audit transit by either a licenced pilot or the Harbourmaster. They must also submit a log of their annual transits to the Harbourmasters Office before 31 March.
They must also have a current Seafarers Medical Certificate.
Supporting documents
The information below is useful to those seeking to obtain a PEC for Auckland.
Navigation Bylaw 2021 (PDF, 9.9MB).
Harbourmaster’s Direction 2-20: Vessel Operating Requirements (PDF, 137KB).
Harbourmaster’s Direction 3-20: Pilotage (PDF, 321KB).
Exempt Master log book (PDF, 162KB).
PEC Proficiency Plan 20240209 (PDF, 267KB).
Hydro charts (PDF, 19.6MB).
POAL Tidal Current Maps - Neap (PDF, 1MB).
POAL Tidal Current Maps - Spring (PDF, 1MB).
POAL Tidal Current Map Inner Rangitoto Channel (PDF, 3.3MB).
POAL Tidal Current Map Outer Rangitoto Channel (PDF, 1.7MB).
MNZ Advisory Circular - Part 90 Pilotage (PDF, 130KB).
Pilotage Exemption blank chart exercise (PDF, 23KB).