# River Hooghly Pilot Service.



## Hugh Ferguson

This is the first of several pages of a publication made by the Hooghly pilots to commemorate their tercentenary in 1969.


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## IAN M

I have been trying to find information about John Norman who was a pilot on the Hoogli before, and during the early years of, the Second World War. John was called out when a fire broke out on a ship during the night. There was an explosion and he was the only man killed.


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## Hugh Ferguson

Another page


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## Hugh Ferguson

A group of Hooghly pilots in 1969 and four of the splendid Pilot vessels cruising at Sandheads over a period of 74 years.


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## Hugh Ferguson

Attached is a message from the Harbour Master (River).
These were the pilots who took the ships to, and away, from the buoy moorings in the river. See HERE


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## Hugh Ferguson

The first 2 pages of the history of the service.


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## sidsal

Hugh
Rmemeber them well. Came aboard with a servant and golf clubs - they practised their shots on the pilot vessel. I remember too their saying that Indian pilots could never do their job. Also they did the minimum of chat with the dock pilots at Calcutta whom they thought of as below them.
We've come a long way since then !!


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## Hugh Ferguson

Two more pages of the history of the service.


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## Cwatcher

Remember going up the Hooghly to Buj Buj as first time 3/O. Pilot came aboard on my watch & spent half an hour with me. The Old Man then invited him down to his cabin for pre-lunch drinks. "Just keep her between the buoys 3/O" said the Pilot as they disappeared......very relieved to see the 2/O at 12.00.


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## Hugh Ferguson

Another page.


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## Hugh Ferguson

The pilot service that William Stanton had difficulty in gaining access to, the Cinque Ports Pilots, was the same service from which Messrs. George Herron; James White; Thomas Massen; James Ferborne; John Ffloyd & Thomas Bateman came from to help establish the Hooghly pilot service in 1668. See HERE

Click on, "How William Stanton got to be a Cinque Ports Pilot".


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## Hugh Ferguson

Pure nostalgia and half the views of "botched execution".
Why bother?


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## Robert Bush

*Capt Ferguson*

Thanks for very interesting posts.

Have pleasant memories of the Pilots and Harbour Masters from prepartition times up until 1960. Remember British and Indian Pilots boarding from row boats together with a servant and a bed roll.

Many were quite wealthy having tea estates and race horses.

The HMs were masters at dredging down up river on the ebb. 

The Survey Department, very efficient, still had a few Brits and the buoys both mooring and navigational were most reliable so were the fixed marks. 

I had several ex Dufferin cadets as friends and ship mates. Some were Anglo Indians.


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## ben27

good day hugh ferguson sm,1est may, 2014,20:19.re:river hooghly pilot service .thank you for a verry informative post.great history.and a long one.regards ben27


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## NoR

Link *here* to .pdf of _On The Hooghly_ by Malcolm Hamilton Beattie Hooghly Pilot 1878 - 1914.
Well worth reading.


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## ceylon-medals

*Thanks*

I know this thread is now several years old, but I just found it, and wanted to add my appreciation to that already voiced to Hugh for having posted copies of his history. 

A valuable do***ent which now, hopefully, will not be lost to posterity.

Cheers,

Glen,
In Our Dominion of the North


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## Ben47

*Travel on the Hooghly*

I know this is a long shot given that the thread is 8 years old but..
I used to live in India back in the late 1960s and visited Calcutta various time always wanting to boat down the Hooghly- but never did. Couple questions:
1. Can you describe the land as it was back then along the banks of the river from Sagar Is to the city? How would you characterize the land? Large trees, jungle, open farm land, villages, huts, commercial buildings...
2. How long did it take to pilot a ship up river from Sagar Island to the wharfs (I presume the pilot joined the ship at the island). Thanks.


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## duquesa

*River Hoogly Pilot Service*



Ben47 said:


> I know this is a long shot given that the thread is 8 years old but..
> I used to live in India back in the late 1960s and visited Calcutta various time always wanting to boat down the Hooghly- but never did. Couple questions:
> 1. Can you describe the land as it was back then along the banks of the river from Sagar Is to the city? How would you characterize the land? Large trees, jungle, open farm land, villages, huts, commercial buildings...
> 2. How long did it take to pilot a ship up river from Sagar Island to the wharfs (I presume the pilot joined the ship at the island). Thanks.


I'm sure someone on here will attempt to answer your question but very unfortunately it will not be the person to who you directed it. Hugh is no longer able to use the computer and has not been for some time. I believe he lost the use of his sight though someone else may have more up to date info.


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## Ben47

Thanks much. I'm sorry to hear about Hugh.


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## IRW

memory fading a bit but on the way up on Bank boats there were quite a number of brickworks. then Bata factories. Lots of paddy fields with bullocks working the ploughs.


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## Ben47

Thanks, IRW. I appreciate your memories.


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## Tony Crompton

The Pilot boarded at "Sandheads" in the vicinity of the
"Western Channel Light Vessel". It was (if I remember correctly) two or 3 hours Pilotage to Sagar Island.


The time taken from there to Calcutta varied as deep vessels
had to anchot from time to time to wait the tide height to get
over the various Bars.


The Pilot took the ship to just above BudgeBudge where the docking
Pilot or "Harbourmaster" took over to berth in Kidderpore,King George Dock, or the Buoys.


I think it took a minimum of 12 hours with no anchoring from Sandheads
to being all fast in Calcutta. (Again Memory ??)



TC


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## Ben47

Thanks, Tony. A further question for everyone. Did the leadsman have duties other than depth sounding using the lead and line? And at what point was the lead replaced by technology for echo (sonar) sounding? At this point was the leadsman no longer needed? Thanks.


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## Michael Taylor

Ben47 said:


> Thanks, Tony. A further question for everyone. Did the leadsman have duties other than depth sounding using the lead and line? And at what point was the lead replaced by technology for echo (sonar) sounding? At this point was the leadsman no longer needed? Thanks.


I remember clearly the pilot boarding along with his "boy" who carried his bag to the bridge an acted as his servant. He then acted as leadsman in the chains when need. As apprentice in Ellermans we had the opportunity to swing the lead under his instruction which often involved hitting the accommodation front, much to others annoyance .


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## Ben47

Great story, Michael. Thanks. Do you remember when sonar took over? Must have been in the 60s maybe?


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## seaman38

Ben47 said:


> Thanks, Tony. A further question for everyone. Did the leadsman have duties other than depth sounding using the lead and line? And at what point was the lead replaced by technology for echo (sonar) sounding? At this point was the leadsman no longer needed? Thanks.


Although the echo sounder was in use it usually only gave the depth under keel amidships, where-as the lead swinger was placed as far for'd in the 'leads' and most masters placed more reliance on 'by the mark' (followed by the number) than they did on electronic devices.

In another post why someone would hit the front of the bridge whilst swinging the lead defeats me, as they were surely too far aft of where they should be standing, but it makes a good story! The lead should never have been swung above the sheer strake or you're missing the whole point of the exercise, as many soundings in as short as time as possible


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## Michael Taylor

Ben47 said:


> Great story, Michael. Thanks. Do you remember when sonar took over? Must have been in the 60s maybe?


Ben, My first trip up the Hoogly was in'59. They had semaphore stations at shoaling points to give tidal conditions however my mind is not clear on this but think at least some were used during those early years. Am sure others may confirm.


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## Michael Taylor

seaman38 said:


> Although the echo sounder was in use it usually only gave the depth under keel amidships, where-as the lead swinger was placed as far for'd in the 'leads' and most masters placed more reliance on 'by the mark' (followed by the number) than they did on electronic devices.
> 
> In another post why someone would hit the front of the bridge whilst swinging the lead defeats me, as they were surely too far aft of where they should be standing, but it makes a good story! The lead should never have been swung above the sheer strake or you're missing the whole point of the exercise, as many soundings in as short as time as possible


Not true, the chains on that particular vessel were just forward of the bridge structure on the starboard side. We apprentices lowered a small platform with corner posts and a top rail of chain....I suppose hence the name and yes swinging the lead in a rotary motion to get ahead of the vessel under way certainly allowed anybody with no experience the chance to hit the structure.
Any Warsash Cadet will tell you that during our training on the Hamble Pier was taking your life in hand!


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## Ben47

Thanks Seaman38 and Michael. This is really a very interesting and delightful exchange in this thread. I appreciate all your memories and views. I had no understanding of how a lead line was handled and swung prior to this. These small details help. I have swung lead lines into trees for the purpose of securing a rope around a limb but this nautical use was simply a historical novelty I first learned about when Mark Twain was discussed in school.


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## Michael Taylor

Here is a little more info re lead lines for you. The lead weight is in units of 7. Seven pounds or fourteen pounds (one stone or a half stone) and heavier and has an impression in the base to be filled with tallow in order to pick up bottom samples. Generally the heavy leads were for deeper waters and would be carried forward on sailing ships on lee side with an officer aft holding the line to read the mark (easy to find these "marks" on the web) when the lead was released and bottom reached. In this case it was nor swung.


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## Alan Rawlinson

NoR said:


> Link *here* to .pdf of _On The Hooghly_ by Malcolm Hamilton Beattie Hooghly Pilot 1878 - 1914.
> Well worth reading.


Many thanks for the pdf reference above. A fascinating book from earlier days, and despite the time difference, it will still chime with mariners from all era's. I am thoroughly enjoying the read.

In the Bank Line in the 1950's we were regularly up and down the Hooghly and it was quite a palaver... Spending the night at anchor on the way up, and pandering to the pilots - quite distinct from pilotage worldwide. I always wondered why they bothered with all the kit they brought onboard, but it seems they were sometimes days in transit and needed change of clothes etc.. Still not sure about the golf clubs though!

Memories include seeing the occasional corpse floating down the river, and of course the famous ' bore' tide, when we chained up on the buoys in Calcutta to resist the expected surge.

Someone on this thread was asking about the river banks and the general make up. I can remember brickworks at regular intervals, and plenty of loaded boats with hay and produce. These were ( and probably still are) handled with amazing skill and judgement in the often fiercely flowing and muddy river, crabbing sideways ... Otherwise it was mostly very low banks with reeds and muddy inlets.


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## Ben47

Michael, I continue to be fascinated by all this. I did not realize the lead weight carried tallow in order to pick up sediment. I just thought the sediment stuck to the weight. I dont suppose you have a picture of these weights. Were they all similarly shaped? Still not clear as to when sounding using these weights was no longer needed. Or perhaps they are still used to this day. Were they used in the late '60s early '70s?


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## Ben47

Alan, thanks for your reply. I am making my way thru Beattie's "On the Hooghly". To all- did you encounter wrecks in the river that needed to be maneuvered around? If so, I suppose these obstacles moved in various manners based on currents and tides so you had to be doubly cautious even if they were marked on a chart. And another leadsman question: what type of line was used for the lead? How was it marked? And how were soundings conducted in the dark at night?


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## Michael Taylor

Ben47 said:


> Alan, thanks for your reply. I am making my way thru Beattie's "On the Hooghly". To all- did you encounter wrecks in the river that needed to be maneuvered around? If so, I suppose these obstacles moved in various manners based on currents and tides so you had to be doubly cautious even if they were marked on a chart. And another leadsman question: what type of line was used for the lead? How was it marked? And how were soundings conducted in the dark at night?


Ben....the line is hemp, one strand was oiled to preserve the rope. Look up on the web for the markings, shape, colour and spaces, to long to put here. The markings were made from leather, rough bunting and linen.And yes, the shape and feel of the pieces allowed the officer to read the line at night.


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## Alan Rawlinson

Ben47 said:


> Alan, thanks for your reply. I am making my way thru Beattie's "On the Hooghly". To all- did you encounter wrecks in the river that needed to be maneuvered around? If so, I suppose these obstacles moved in various manners based on currents and tides so you had to be doubly cautious even if they were marked on a chart. And another leadsman question: what type of line was used for the lead? How was it marked? And how were soundings conducted in the dark at night?


There are many interesting references to the art of soundings in " On the Hooghly" particularly in Chapter 4 . Like all procedures at sea, there were ' wrinkles' which helped the experienced men. Seems a lighter line and lead were preferred by some pilots and their leadsman and they carried them in their kit. At night an experienced leadsman could feel the marks which were arranged in a distinctive way and was a tradition. Of all the useless things we were taught at sea school in the 1940's was the different marks of a lead line! Sailing ship lore was also taught, and I can recall the little ditty intended to help when making standing rigging. It goes, " Worm and parcel with the lay, and serve the rope the other way". At least I went to sea. For the lads that chose a shore career, it must have been doubly useless.

Back to the Hooghly. - Re wrecks. Haven't seen any mention of wrecks or problems with them, but no doubt there was the odd wreck. For the pilots, it is clear that the Hooghly itself presented a huge challenge to complete a successful passage. The difficulty was with an extra fast flowing river, stronger in the centre by far. ( used to advantage when turning) Also, the constant change in depth due to shifting currents and mudbanks, (hence the need for constant soundings). No two passages woud be the same. The weather plays a huge part. In the days of sail covered in the Hooghly text, it was so much more difficult to progress given the need to tack into the wind and use a wider stretch with all the risks of grounding. Touching the banks was a frequent occurrence, usually without serious consequences. 

I love all the anecdotes in the book. Especially about the Master of a sailing ship arriving at the pilot station wearing red and green shoes on either foot - corresponding to the Port and Starboard lights!


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