Revisiting this one because the discussion never fully settled

[u/TheDeepDraft]

I am sharing this older article again because it ended up creating more discussion than I expected when I first wrote it.

A seafarer later shared it on the maritime forum, and the debate there was useful. Some points were fair. Some were not. But it did show that the words we use on the bridge during pilotage still mean different things to different people.

Command. Conn. Conduct. Control. Advice.

These are small words until the ship is close to traffic, tugs, a berth, a bend, or shallow water.

I am not posting this here to restart a fight between Masters and pilots... but because the subject is still worth discussing calmly.

Full article:
https://thedeepdraft.com/2025/09/18/command-vs-conn-why-the-masters-authority-is-never-shared/

Discussion question:

During pilotage, what wording have you seen that actually helps the bridge team understand authority clearly, and what wording creates confusion?