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Pilotage Rates

 

 Rates for regulated vessels are determined by the Legislature for vessels arriving at or departing from the Port of New York/New Jersey, the Long Island Sound/Block Island Sound and the Hudson River. The Board retains authority to establish intermediate rates for other services, as well as to review and recommend surcharges for:

  • Sandy Hook Capital Construction Fund: Implemented in 1999, reviewed/adjusted annually;
  • Sandy Hook Pension Fund: Implemented in 1995, reviewed/adjusted quarterly;
  • Hudson River Pension Surcharge: Implemented in 2015, rate for first sixty months set by legislation,

thereafter set by the Hudson River Pilots Surcharge Board;

  • Hudson River Pilot Station and Communications Fee: Implemented in 1998, reviewed/adjusted annually; and
  • Long Island Sound/Block Island Sound pilot boat fuel surcharge: Implemented in 2006, adjusted

SUMMARY OF PORT OF NEW YORK/NEW JERSEY LEGISLATIVE RATE AUTHORIZATIONS:

Year Rate Adjustment

2023

-  3% pilotage rate adjustment

2024

-  3% pilotage rate adjustment

2025

-  3% pilotage rate adjustment

2026

-  3% pilotage rate adjustment

 

The rates include a surcharge, that was effective 1 January 2018, on vessels above 1,650 pilotage units.

HUDSON RIVER: Pilotage rate adjustments are set by legislation. An operational cost recovery surcharge has been in place since 1999 for Hudson River pilot boats, pilot station and communications equipment as implemented by the Legislature. The surcharge is evaluated and adjusted, if necessary, by the Board in January of every year. In 2015, the New York Navigation Law was amended in order to establish a pension fund for Hudson River Pilots. The amendment created a Hudson River Pilot’s Surcharge Board, which will determine the rate of the surcharge necessary to fund retirement benefits for active Hudson River Pilots after 2020. In 2022, rate legislation was passed that provided for pilotage rate adjustments. The pilotage rate adjustments and pension surcharges are as follows:

SUMMARY OF PORT OF HUDSON RIVER LEGISLATIVE RATE AUTHORIZATIONS:

Year Rate Adjustment

2023

-  3% pilotage rate adjustment, 10% pension surcharge (effective July 1, 2023)

2024

-  3% pilotage rate adjustment

2025

-  3% pilotage rate adjustment

2026

-  3% pilotage rate adjustment

 

LONG ISLAND SOUND/BLOCK ISLAND SOUND: The Long Island Sound is boundary waters with the State of Connecticut. Pilotage rates in New York are set by the Legislature. Pilotage rates in Connecticut are determined by the Connecticut Port Authority upon recommendation by the Connecticut Pilot Commission. In 2022, general rate increase legislation was introduced in New York State in conjunction with proposals made to the Connecticut Pilot Commission and Connecticut Port Authority. The legislation passed the New York State Assembly and Senate during the 2022 legislative session and was signed by the Governor. The general rate increase was also approved by the Connecticut Port Authority in 2022.

SUMMARY OF LONG ISLAND SOUND/BLOCK ISLAND SOUND LEGISLATIVE RATE AUTHORIZATIONS:

Year Rate Adjustment

2023

$9.97 per pilotage unit

2024

$10.27 per pilotage unit

2025

$10.58 per pilotage unit

2026

$10.89 per pilotage unit

2027

$11.22 per pilotage unit