Pilots, men who know the intricacies of their own local harbours and rivers have been used for many hundreds of years to assist the captains of large ships to navigate to safe anchorages when visiting strange ports through the difficult channels, banks and reefs that tend to be found close to shore. In the UK this started with small rowing boats, called gigs, or fast sailing cutters taking the local pilots out to the ships as they approached the port and as there was strong competition to earn the fees that this work brought, so the boats needed to be fast craft capable of going out in all weathers.
This work eventually became enshrined in law and over the years the craft became the fast, powerful and manoeuvrable seaworthy boats that you describe, that take the pilot out to the approaching vessel . Due to the pressures of commerce they need to operate quickly in foul weather, hence the designs that have evolved to make the transfer of the pilot to the ship as fast, easy and safe as possible.
Having seen your work, I'm looking forward very much to see what you come up with.
