00:00 We're heading out of Sydney Harbour with Marine Pilot Luke Nye.
00:07 We're on our way to meet an oil tanker called the Pantelis.
00:12 It's due into Sydney to make a delivery.
00:19 Two kilometres outside the heads we catch our first glimpse.
00:23 From this angle it's a monolith rising out of the waves and it's Luke's job to steer
00:29 it past the heads and through the busy harbour.
00:32 First though he's got to get on board.
00:34 Now this is one of the most dangerous jobs for pilots in the harbour.
00:41 It's getting on the ship but both vessels are not only moving, the pilot vessel and
00:45 the ship, but they're going up and down, rising and falling up to 5, 6, 7 metres every few
00:51 seconds.
00:57 Once safely on board we head straight to the bridge where Luke is already in command.
01:03 Steer 212.
01:05 Yes.
01:06 Luke knows the harbour like the back of his hand.
01:09 How deep it is at any given point and where a ship of this size can safely navigate.
01:15 My view of the harbour is one of, it's almost transparent, I'm looking at the dangers underneath.
01:20 I'm consciously aware of the traffic but I've got in my head where I want the ship to be
01:26 at all times.
01:27 When we think about the working harbour this is what it looks like.
01:31 Super sized commercial vessels using a dozen or so berths and anchorages around the harbour
01:37 as gateways to the city, carrying things like sand, sugar, salt, cement, oil, plus the odd
01:45 cruise passenger or two.
01:48 Coming into Sydney Harbour now we've just come around Bradley's Head, the whole city
01:50 scapes opened up.
01:51 This is where the captains on cruise ships will tell us that all their passengers want
01:55 to see two harbours in the world, New York and Sydney and that's the view that they want
01:59 to see.
02:00 Sydney Harbour is in Luke's DNA.
02:02 His great grandfather was a marine pilot.
02:04 Can you see your old family home from here?
02:07 Not yet but round the corner.
02:10 He grew up in Greenwich, overlooking the very tanker berth we're heading to today.
02:15 What does it mean to you to get to do this job every day when you've wanted this job
02:18 for so long since you were a little boy?
02:20 Better be a pilot in the port where you always wanted to do it.
02:23 I'm very fortunate, you know, and I don't lose sight of that any day.
02:27 Under the harbour bridge and our destination is in sight.
02:31 So we're coming up to the business end now where Luke is about to park the ship.
02:36 Is that what you call it?
02:38 I would say berthing but we'll go with the landlubber term if that suits you.
02:43 Midship.
02:44 Metre by metre Luke eases the tanker into position.
02:49 Dead slow astern.
02:51 There's no room for error.
02:53 It's such a volume of the products for this whole city coming through here.
02:58 Any damage to this, we're in all sorts.
03:00 50?
03:01 40.
03:02 40 ahead, thanks.
03:05 Finally the ship is exactly where he needs it to be.
03:08 In position.
03:09 In position.
03:10 In position, Captain.
03:11 Hold it there.
03:14 One very large tanker safely delivered.
03:18 Another happy landing.
03:20 So one job done.
03:21 Next.
03:22 Next cruise ship, something completely different.
03:25 All in a day's work for Sydney's marine pilots.
03:28 [Music]
03:30 [BLANK_AUDIO]
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