Have you ever been curious about the origin and contents of all of those cargo and container ships you see while on the beaches? With a phone app called Marine Traffic, now you can find out.
Tucked in Cape Henlopen State Park near the “Point” is the Ship Reporting Station. It has an expansive bay view of the incoming and outgoing shipping vessels entering the mouth of the Delaware. Adjacent to the Cape May-Lewes Ferry terminal is the pilot house, where the professional ship pilots hang out to wait for their next rotation.
In a new book by Lewes resident Charles Mowll, “The Pilots of Pilottown,” the fifth-generation pilot gives a comprehensive look at the world of international shipping. Right here off the coast of little Lewes. There are also pilots based in the port of Philadelphia, called “PhilaPort, one of the busiest in the United States; it is the largest refrigerated port in the country. Wilmington also has a large port run by the Diamond State Port Authority, handling on average over 100,000 export vehicles every year, along with over 100,000 tons of steel imports from around the world.
Camden, New Jersey handles over 340 cargo ships, where Del Monte maintains its largest fruit port and distribution center in the world.
Massive container and cargo ships are a common sight along Delaware beaches, but Mowll’s firsthand account of the complex system explains just how much goes on behind the scenes as ships head to port. There are a total of 12 ports on the Delaware River, and each vessel is required to be safely navigated by a pilot up the narrow and often dangerous channel.
For centuries of course, Lewes has had the moniker of Pilottown. It is one of the oldest state piloting organizations in the country, organized in 1896. Delaware pilots’ training requires an apprenticeship, and they must be able to maneuver the Delaware Bay and River, sometimes through hazardous conditions, shoals and tides. Often, they journey at night, in order to arrive at port in the morning.
During the very first United States Congress in 1789, a law was passed giving states the right to regulate pilotage in their jurisdiction. Every foreign and domestic vessel is required to take on board a pilot licensed by the state.
In a finely choreographed system between the US Coast Guard, the USDA and the Maritime On-Line (MOL), ships are tracked meticulously, alerting the pilots of any navigational warnings. According to the Maritime Exchange, 2,312 ships arrived in 2021, transporting countless numbers of products from around the world.
All ships are required to be escorted by a pilot, who works in conjunction with the “Tower Watchstander” located at the ship reporting station at Cape Henlopen State Park. With its panoramic view of both the Ocean and the bay, the watchstander is joined by Maritime Exchange staff to monitor and manage arriving and departing ship traffic.
So next time you arrive at the beach, be sure to check out the ship traffic, and find out just what is being transported. For more information, be sure to download the Marine Tracker app on your phone.
By Bridget Fitzpatrick
