JaxPilots - St. Johns Bar Pilot Association

JaxPilots - St. Johns Bar Pilot Association An elite group of carefully chosen mariners, demonstrating exceptional qualities of skill, dedication and commitment to service to the maritime industry.

All St. Johns Bar Pilots are licensed unlimited Master Mariners and hold licenses as First Class Pilots from the U.S. Coast Guard and the State of Florida, Department of Professional Regulation and State Board of Pilot Commissioners. HISTORY:
St. Johns Bar Pilot Association – In the early 1800′s as the commercial ports along the St Johns River began to develop, a select group of brave and skilled

seafarers would row to sea to meet arriving cargo sailing ships. These daring individuals would use their extensive local knowledge to safely guide the sailing ships across the treacherous sand bars that guarded the river entrance. This was the origin of the St. Johns Bar Pilots. Initially it was a bit of a free-for-all as competition was keen among these pilots to be first to “call for the ship” and claim the right to pilot the ships in and out of port. In 1890, an enterprising pilot, Captain George Spaulding, purchased a former America’s Cup contender, the schooner “META”. Understandably very fast, Captain Spaulding and the META were soon winning the majority of “Calls” for the St. Johns River. At the urging of the other pilots, Captain Spaulding sold shares in the META and created the St. Johns Bar Pilot Association in the fall of 1890. The META became the first official St. Johns Pilot Boat. The daily assigned pilot would board META at dawn and take station outside the mouth of the river. After a day of working on the river, the pilots would return to the river mouth just before sunset. In 1931, a Richfield Oil Tanker was the first vessel to navigate the river at night, thereby ushering in a new era of commercial service for arrivals and departures. The first real pilot station was a pair of wooden buildings built on a low spit of land that formed Ribault Bay. That land is now under the carrier piers at Naval Station Mayport, and Ribault Bay is now known as the Naval basin. The station was moved to its current location with the construction of the Navy base in the 1940s. For more than 120 years, the traditions of safety and excellence in service have been passed from one Pilot to the next. All of the modern St. Johns Bar Pilots hold unlimited endorsements as First Class Pilot and have extensive leadership experience from their prior service at sea. Pilots are available at anytime, day or night, and often board and pilot vessels in the most frightening conditions of wind, seas, rain and fog. They are among the most intensely trained and experienced mariners in the world.

Action!📸:
01/08/2025

Action!

📸:

GSL Alexandra working cargo at Blount Island ⚓️
01/06/2025

GSL Alexandra working cargo at Blount Island ⚓️

12/30/2024
Sunset offshore was pretty amazing last night 💫 Texas Highway at pilot boarding ground Bravo⚓️
12/30/2024

Sunset offshore was pretty amazing last night 💫 Texas Highway at pilot boarding ground Bravo⚓️

12/30/2024

Spreading cheer throughout the year 🧸🎁 🛴

Did you know? More than 58,000 tons of toys and games – everything from bicycles and scooters to board games and arts and crafts - move through JAXPORT each year.

making spirits bright during the holiday season and all year long ✨

📸 JaxPilots - St. Johns Bar Pilot Association

Seas are building 🫡 M/V Maple sailing back to Turkey on a rough evening
12/23/2024

Seas are building 🫡 M/V Maple sailing back to Turkey on a rough evening

12/18/2024
Clementine Maersk working cargo at Blount Island Terminal with 100 Gauge gantry cranes
11/24/2024

Clementine Maersk working cargo at Blount Island Terminal with 100 Gauge gantry cranes

ONE Hawk working cargo at 2am💪 24/7 operations here in Jacksonville🕐Four cranes working at Blount Island Terminal⚓️
11/19/2024

ONE Hawk working cargo at 2am💪 24/7 operations here in Jacksonville🕐Four cranes working at Blount Island Terminal⚓️

Container Vessel Kure departing the St John’s River under a near full moon 🌕
11/15/2024

Container Vessel Kure departing the St John’s River under a near full moon 🌕

St John’s River with some of its finest inhabitants keeping an eye on things 👌 Can you read the draft of the vessel? Ju...
11/05/2024

St John’s River with some of its finest inhabitants keeping an eye on things 👌

Can you read the draft of the vessel? Just look on the rudder for meter marks👀

Crystal Serenity visiting Jacksonville and enjoying the beautiful St John’s River ⚓️
11/05/2024

Crystal Serenity visiting Jacksonville and enjoying the beautiful St John’s River ⚓️

GSL Alexandra inbound in Pilot Town Cut⚓️
10/14/2024

GSL Alexandra inbound in Pilot Town Cut⚓️

Wild weather tonight! Pilot Boat St John’s is always ready ⚓️
08/20/2024

Wild weather tonight! Pilot Boat St John’s is always ready ⚓️

Night ops ⚓️ St John’s River
08/14/2024

Night ops ⚓️

St John’s River

The mighty Monte Tamaro departing on her way to Port Everglades before heading to South America ⚓️
06/29/2024

The mighty Monte Tamaro departing on her way to Port Everglades before heading to South America ⚓️

Algoma Vision, self unloader at Dames Point ⚓️
06/29/2024

Algoma Vision, self unloader at Dames Point ⚓️

Address

4910 Ocean Street
Atlantic Beach, FL
32233

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Videos

We are super proud of our Pilot Boat Captain Jonathon Moran for being recognized for a heroic rescue following Hurricane Helene by our USCG Captain of the Port. Our highly skilled pilot boat captains keep our waterways safer 24/7 365 not only embarking and disembarking pilots on ships, but being actively involved as eyes, ears and communications with our dispatchers, USCG and all waterways users. We value our close relationship with the USCG #pilotboat #unitedstatescoastguard

It’s called a “Light Bulk Ship”, because the cargo is all discharged it sits high out of the water. As you can see from first pic, you don’t have the full rudder in the water so they tend to slide through the turns. ⚓️ #ships #harborpilot #pilotladder #work

That fog came in quick and thick last night. #weather

Chasing the sunrise on board the Hyundai Hongkong⚓️ They’ll head around the world and be back in 60 days🫡 Fair winds and following seas @jax_port @propclubjax @jaxchamber

STJ Buoy action of the St John’s River #ships #jacksonville #harborpilot @propclubjax @jax_port

MSC BRITTANY arriving Jacksonville ⚓️ @jax_port

A beautiful morning at Jacksonville Port Authority Blount Island, passing under the Napoleon Bonaparte Broward Bridge⚓️ More commonly known as the Dames Point bridge. Both names steeped in our rich maritime tradition we have in Jacksonville. Using the words of Visit Jacksonville Officially it’s the Napoleon Bonaparte Broward (1857-1910) Bridge, named after the local river pilot who went on to become Governor of Florida 🍊🐊WJXT4 The Local Station / News4JAX Weather update for the day ☀️

A beautiful evening to sail ⚓️ Monte Verde departing the St John’s River @maersk_official @jax_port

It’s always impressive to see all the different cargo carried by vessels around the world. Here are huge tanks to be delivered to the @dosequis brewery. Currently on their way to Veracruz.

Disembarking the @msccargo Celine at pilot boarding ground Bravo ⚓️ @jax_port @propclubjax

Bult for action 🌊 #pilotboat

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