At home at helm
Boston Harbor's piloting rule means a local hand must steer
In pleated khakis, a blazer, and tie, Gregg Farmer is dressed for the sort of event where people make small talk and nibble hors d'oeuvres.
He'll get there soon enough.
But first he has to ride a small pilot boat nearly an hour from Boston, and wait as it is clipped to a 926-foot cruise ship after what he calls "a controlled collision." Then he will clamber from one vessel to the other so he can steer the cruise ship through crowded waters to its destination. All in a day's work for Farmer, one of Boston's nine maritime pilots who direct large ships into and out of Boston Harbor.
The city's harbor is a complex beast, and Farmer must navigate around its shoals, as well as around fishing boats, barges, and other large ships. "Everything comes in and out of this port," he said.
Then there's the airport to worry about. Under certain conditions, wind can bounce from ship to plane, disrupting flight paths. Inclement weather and shifting tides can play havoc with a ship's course.
"We really get the worst of everything," said Farmer. That's why every large boat that uses Boston Harbor must be guided by somebody who knows the waters and their hidden idiosyncrasies.
Yesterday, Farmer navigated the Eurodam, Holland America Line's newest and largest cruise ship, through its first port of call in Boston. Michael Leone, port director for the Massachusetts Port Authority, and other officials are calling the ship a sign of Boston's burgeoning tourism industry and hoping others follow suit. Between this year and last, Leone said, the number of cruise-goers coming through Boston grew from about 235,000 to 280,000.
Farmer's morning began early at Black Falcon Terminal in South Boston. At 6:45, he jumped into the pilot boat and headed 5 miles out to meet the ship.
As the boat raced toward the horizon, blinding sun reflecting from the calm waters, Farmer took a sip of coffee - a morning ritual when he has early jobs.
"I always loved the maneuvering of ships," he said. His job is never the same, something he also likes. "You expect the change more than anything else."
The pilot boat carrying him swayed up and down, right and left, as it smashed through the water. A pale gray dot appeared on the horizon - the Eurodam.
Soon Farmer would be climbing up the large ship's hull. "That's probably the most dangerous thing we do, is the transfer," he said.
The pilot boat's driver nosed the vessel alongside the cruise ship. Both continued to move forward.
Men waited at a porthole in the ship's hull, from which a short ladder hung. Farmer climbed up easily. But that's not always the case. Ladders on many big cargo ships are longer and potentially more treacherous. A pilot fell and died some years ago, Farmer said. This ladder is about four rungs in all. The weather, too, is kind.
Once on board, Farmer is escorted to the ship's bridge, a bright room with a panoramic view of the sea and the distant Boston skyline. Dials, levers, and maps - both digital and paper - fill expansive consoles.
Farmer begins to speak in degrees and speeds.
"209," he says.
"209," repeats one of the crew members.
The ship powers through the cluster of islands that dot the harbor. A fishing boat, besieged by seagulls, speeds to get out of its way.
After an hour of coded commands, the ship begins to pull up at the dock near Black Falcon Avenue where the pilot boat had departed just a couple of hours earlier.
Now, the ship's captain, Jeroen van Donselaar, takes over as the Eurodam performs a delicate dance with the pier as its unmoving partner, moving up a few yards then back a few feet.
Finally, the ship stops.
"All right, we're here," van Donselaar says. "Welcome to Boston." A celebration is held in an elegant ship dining room. A plaque is presented. Hors d'oeuvres are served. Everyone is pleased at a successful voyage.
The relationship between pilot and captain is professional, van Donselaar says. He takes pilots' advice, but he's always the captain.
"A pilot is an adviser . . . a local resource," van Donselaar says. "I know the ship really well, and the pilot knows the water really well." 