At Harwich, on the East Anglian coast, in 1977, there are 125 pilots seeing to the need of the local small ports and the busy ferry and terminal quays of Parkeston in Essex, Harwich and Felixstowe. Comparable with the master of a ship, the pilot’s job is to bring vessels into port and take them out again. This film shows the long and rich history of the profession of the pilot, whose expertise lies in the knowledge of local waters.