Pilot launches such as ‘Pilot 1’ were used to transport harbour pilots from shore to vessels anchored off the coast. The pilots were responsible for helping vessels navigate the congested harbours of the Port of Singapore by using their expert knowledge of the local waters.At the southern tip of mainland Singapore is a deep harbour first noticed by Sir William Farquhar in 1819. Later referred to simply as New Harbour, major development of the area started in the 1850s when the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company (P&O) established operations there. In 1900, the strategically important harbour was renamed Keppel Harbour in honour of Admiral Henry Keppel, a British naval officer with strong ties to Singapore. The Port of Singapore Authority’s Keppel Terminal began operations next to the harbour in 1991 and has since become one of the world’s busiest container terminals.
