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Harbor pilots are specialist mariners who board large ships as they approach a port and take temporary command of navigation through the final, most hazardous stretch of the journey, guiding vessels past shoals, narrow channels, and heavy local traffic that the ship's own crew may not know well. Because local conditions such as tides, currents, and seabed contours change over time, pilots typically must hold certification specific to a single port or waterway, and this certification requires renewal through ongoing training. Pilots usually board a moving ship from a small boat via a rope ladder lowered over the side, a manoeuvre that remains one of the more dangerous routine tasks in the maritime industry. Once the ship is safely docked or has cleared the hazardous zone, the pilot disembarks and the ship's own captain resumes full command.