Dale Collins was born in Kodiak, Alaska. His family moved to Ketchikan in 1951 for employment at the Pulp Mill. Dale is a Sea Pilot with the Southeast Alaska Pilots' Association and has navigated ships throughout Southeast Alaska for the last 40 years.

Dale grew up playing and fishing on Ketchikan's waterfront. He started commercial fishing as a teenager, but a maritime course at Ketchikan High School introduced him to other possibilities of work on the water. "I always knew I would have a career on the water," Dale says. "But I didn't know I would be a pilot until the class at Kayhi. I applied for my Merchant Mariner Credential before I graduated."

A typical day for Dale starts with a 1:30 a.m. wake up to be at the pilot boat at 2:30 a.m. and rendezvous with the incoming cruise ship at Twin Islands (21 miles south of Ketchikan) by 4:00 a.m. Dale joins the bridge team and pilots the ship into Ketchikan, before continuing through the Inside Passage. He typically works with another pilot to split watches on the bridge with 6 hours on and 6 hours off.

"The primary responsibility of a sea pilot is the safe navigation of vessels," Dale says. "Our local knowledge paired with the professional knowledge of the crew on board provides added safety while traveling through Southeast Alaska."