José Luis Saura is a kind person who inspires trust. A serene gaze and measured words. I ask him:
Who is José Luis Saura?
Currently, I work as a harbor pilot in the port of Santander, a role I complement by serving as president of the Spanish Harbor Pilots Federation and with some teaching, collaborating in initial and continuous training courses for pilots. I enjoy sailing on my yacht, having fun with my family and friends, and I can say I don’t have time to get bored—I practice some sports and am happy to live in this green and blue territory called Cantabria (for me, it will always be “La Montaña”).
Why did you decide to pursue a position as a pilot?
My true calling has always been sailing, docking in distant countries; I experienced it firsthand at home—my father was a chief engineer with the Pereda (in the 1970s, Naviera de Castilla, Transportes de Petróleos, Petromed…). I remember his calls home via shortwave from the Persian Gulf. I studied nautical science in Santander and Plymouth, and it was while sailing that I learned about the piloting profession. I had it clear: 12 years sailing on coastal routes would give me the opportunity to work on land as a “Piloto leman” (harbor pilot). From ports like Rotterdam or Dublin to Safi and Casablanca, passing through Vigo or Castellón, the work of their pilots captivated me from the start. Additionally, and no less important, I consider family the pillar of our society, and being on land allowed me to be a father, have a partner, and work in what I love. I suppose during my childhood, I missed my father—now I realize it; voyages lasting 11 months with one month of vacation, where our mother handled daily life at home.
You joined the Navy as a member of the Naval Reserve. How was your experience in the Navy?
The Naval School in Marín, where you spend three months in what was then called the Command Training Service, was another dream come true. What they teach you there is priceless—loyalty, discipline, and honor, which, when applied to daily life, make you a better person, professional, father, and husband. As an ensign and due to my bilingual background, I spent a year as an officer in an embarked General Staff, conducting joint maneuvers with navies from other countries.
Your first assignment as a pilot was the port of Torrevieja. How was the experience of starting as a pilot?
Torrevieja, with its salt flats and habaneras, was a regular port of call for me; Atlántico Shipping and López Abente S.A., shipowners with a rare vocation, had return cargoes to the North with salt from Torrevieja for their kaolin and feldspar shipments from the mines and port of Ribadeo to Grao de Castellón. “High Noon” (Gary Cooper)—I’ve lived it twice in my life: the first time sailing as captain (in my case, the M/N BAROÑA) and my first day as a pilot in Torrevieja. I remember my first mentor pilot (Captain Félix Moro) 20 years ago in Torrevieja, maneuvering bulk carriers up to 200 meters long without tug assistance. Everything was manual—spring lines to buoys, mooring lines to docks, and anchoring with both anchors… unthinkable today.
The BAROÑA, ex KORTEZUBI, renamed CORONA in 2007
In NAUCHERglobal, we published an article stating that pilot corporations, with few exceptions, needed to enhance their business culture.
What do you think?
Except for one subject on economic theory and another on Maritime Economics, the Nautical Faculties do not teach you how to create and run a business. All of us pilots have been ship captains, and you find yourself passing a competitive exam and overnight, you stop sailing as an employee and become a shareholder of an SLP (Professional Limited Company). A new world opens up where balance sheets, assets, liabilities, amortizations, etc., coexist with our nautical culture—and that’s without even getting into negotiations on collective agreements and conducting economic studies on the service for Port Authorities. The College and the Federation try to cover these gaps with courses, training sessions, and lectures.
Port of Santander
In your opinion, what are the main problems of pilotage?
Ourselves; we have the legal basis to maintain a pilotage system that works, with different idiosyncrasies for each corporation but a common foundation. The single license, obtained through a public tender for 10-year periods, is the best option if we’re talking about safety—common sense for a service like ours. The tariff system, based on an economic study, is set by the Port Authorities since it’s a single license. Abuse on our part, for example, regarding our public service obligations, could force the Administration to change the system.
And the ports?
Excessive bureaucracy; in a global market defined by free competition and the rapid changes demanded by new technologies and digitalization, decisions on port infrastructure and operations should be made more quickly.
Is the Port of Santander sufficiently covered with 6 pilots? How is the number of pilots needed in a port determined?
In Santander, the terms and conditions are drafted for 6 pilots, reasonable for current traffic; if traffic increases—as seems the medium-term trend—to comply with proper working and rest times, the APS (Port Authority of Santander) could consider increasing the staff to 7. Deciding the number of pilots is complicated; it’s based on a 10-year market study (the License period) and the evolution of traffic in a given port. From there, work must be done with average times and number of maneuvers—we can’t base staff increases on one good year or decreases on one or two bad years.
THE SEA EMPRESS ran aground at the entrance to Milford Haven in 1996
In Britain, following the SEA EMPRESS accident in Milford Haven (1996), they decided to regulate pilotage based on the type of ship and the pilot’s experience. Would you advocate for the same in Spain?
The British pilotage system varies depending on the port. In the Humber River, for example, pilots of very different nationalities coexist, even with different contracts based on their country of origin and experience. In Spain, each Corporation and Maritime Captaincy sets the requirements for a merchant marine captain to practice. These can range from one month to 6 months depending on experience, though locally, an experienced pilot may still accompany you during more complex maneuvers in your first shifts if necessary.
As I have already mentioned, the service works.
The Federation of Pilots of the Port of Spain was born from the decision of an assembly of pilots held in Barcelona in May 1908. Its first president was Ernesto Anastasio. Why does the Federation still exist if the CONP is the representative body of Spanish pilots and assumes all the functions of defending the pilotage service?
First of all, I am proud to belong to an association with more than 115 years of history; the CONP is the representative body of the collective and assumes the tasks of defending the service, but it is not the only body available to us pilots. The College is subject to the Professional Colleges Law, all pilots must be registered to practice, and we have our rights and duties as such. The Federation is an association that, if necessary, can defend the same things with other tools; the rule is not so rigid, with an association we can act as a union and as an employers’ association, without being either. Additionally, I will give two examples: we have traditions, such as the “Paga de Toca,” in case of death, which the Federation still maintains; and as a curiosity, the headquarters of the CONP actually belongs to the Federation.
