The first records of the existence of the Gironde Pilots date back to 1540. At the time, most of them were fishermen, often based in Saint-Palais on the Charente coast, whose port no longer exists today.
Over the centuries, several pilot stations were established at various locations along the estuary.
It was in 1681 that Colbert’s ordinance marked the beginning of the organization of what were then known as “harbour pilots”, but it wasn’t until 1919 that a true reorganization of the profession began along the estuary’s banks, with the end of competition, the pooling of resources, culminating in 1949 with the merger of all the various stations into a single entity, the “Gironde Pilot Station”, which provides services to ships from the open sea to Bordeaux on the Garonne and downstream from Libourne on the Dordogne.
Today, the station has 17 active pilots, who are members of the “Gironde Pilots Professional Union”, as well as 17 employees, based at the administrative headquarters in Bassens and our logistics hub in Verdon-sur-Mer.
Over the centuries, several pilot stations were established at various locations along the estuary.
It was in 1681 that Colbert’s ordinance marked the beginning of the organization of what were then known as “harbour pilots”, but it wasn’t until 1919 that a true reorganization of the profession began along the estuary’s banks, with the end of competition, the pooling of resources, culminating in 1949 with the merger of all the various stations into a single entity, the “Gironde Pilot Station”, which provides services to ships from the open sea to Bordeaux on the Garonne and downstream from Libourne on the Dordogne.
Today, the station has 17 active pilots, who are members of the “Gironde Pilots Professional Union”, as well as 17 employees, based at the administrative headquarters in Bassens and our logistics hub in Verdon-sur-Mer.
Helicopter winch operation on a gas tanker – At the mouth of the Gironde Estuary
