During 2025-6, our Registers Review working group assessed and scored 59 pilotage craft, comprising just under 3% of all vessels on the National Registers. A total of seven pilotage craft are included on the Fleet following this Review, six of which have retained their original status and one which was newly assessed as being sufficiently significant to merit this recognition.
To read a summary of this piece of work, our research and findings, plus a breakdown of all vessels in the pilotage group, please download our Pilotage Report below. To mark the publication of the Report, we have designated March as Pilotage Month on social media, and will be celebrating a selection of the highest scoring and most interesting historic pilot craft.
The Pilotage Report is the third report (following Lifeboats and Tugs) published by NHS-UK as part of a pilot scheme to assess all Service vessels on the National Registers. Work has already begun to assess the next set of vessels within the Service group, which has been categorised as Service: Miscellaneous. This encompasses customs, firefighting and fisheries protection craft. We encourage any custodians of relevant vessels to ensure their entries on the Register are accurate and fully updated.
Download the Pilotage Report
Read more about the Registers Review
Photos © Vessel owners, NHS-UK, Dan Brand