§33-4-48. Pay of pilots - Generally.

(a) The master, owner, agent, or operator of any ship or vessel shall pay the pilot who conducts a vessel into or out of the Bay or Harbor of Mobile a fee to be fixed by the State Pilotage Commission at the following rate for actual draft of water at the time of pilotage for every vessel crossing the outer bar of Mobile Bay: Effective January 1, 2010, the sum of thirty-one dollars ($31) per draft foot; effective January 1, 2014, the sum of thirty-three dollars ($33) per draft foot; effective January 1, 2015, the sum of thirty-five dollars ($35) per draft foot; and effective January 1, 2016, and thereafter, the sum of thirty-seven dollars ($37) per draft foot. The minimum pilot fee shall be computed on a minimum of 15 feet regardless of whether or not the vessel has a draft of less than 15 feet at the time of pilotage.

(b) In addition to the pilotage fee based on the draft of the vessel, there shall also be paid to the pilots the following pilotage fees for every vessel crossing the outer bar of Mobile Bay: Effective May 1, 2013, for each of the vessel's maximum registered gross tons, the sum of five cents ($0.050) per ton; effective January 1, 2014, the sum of five and one-half cents ($0.055) per ton; effective January 1, 2015, the sum of five and three-quarter cents ($0.0575) per ton; and effective January 1, 2016, and thereafter, the sum of six cents ($0.060) per ton. The minimum pilot fee shall be computed on a minimum of 6,500 maximum registered gross tons, regardless of whether or not the vessel has a maximum registered gross tonnage of less than 6,500 maximum registered gross tons.

(c) In addition to the foregoing fees, the State Pilotage Commission shall set fees for special services rendered by the pilots to vessels which are incidental to or connected with vessels being conducted into or out of the Bay or Harbor of Mobile which include, but are not limited to, docking and undocking, going on and off drydock, turning the vessel, shifting, anchorage and stand-by, and delayed sailing.

(d) Vessels trading between any domestic port on the Gulf of Mexico and the Port of Mobile, drawing seven feet or less of water shall not be required to employ a pilot, but if a pilot is employed, the regular pilotage shall be paid. No fishing smack shall be subject to pilotage.

(Acts 1931, No. 81, p. 154, §32; Code 1940, T. 38, §77; Acts 1951, No. 188, p. 449, §1; Acts 1959, No. 333, p. 926, §1; Acts 1967, No. 234, p. 610, §1 ; Acts 1971, 1st Ex. Sess., No. 56, p. 94, §1; Acts 1975, 2nd Ex. Sess., No. 33, p. 161, §1; Acts 1977, No. 145, p. 208, §1; Acts 1979, No. 79-95, p. 118, §1; Acts 1981, No. 81-179, p. 215, §1; Acts 1983, No. 83-500, p. 703, §1; Acts 1988, No. 88-128, p. 183, §3; Acts 1989, No. 89-518, p. 1064, §1; Acts 1993, No. 93-650, p. 1124, §1; Acts 1997, No. 97-669, p. 1292, §1, Act 98-279, p. 457, §1; Act 99-203, p. 261, §1; Act 2002-342, p. 919, §1; Act 2006-344, p. 915, §1; Act 2013-109, p. 224, §1.)