Customary Pilot?

You may have experience of conflict  that either charterer or owner shall pay pilot fee when non-compulsory pilot on board. 

In some Charter Parties, it is said that 'Compulsory and Customary pilot is charterer's account', but  there is no clear rule which case should be judged as 'customary pilot'.

Below is IMO recommendation to take pilot, which may assist your judgement.

• A.486(XII) (adopted 1981) recommends the use of deep-sea pilots in the North Sea, English Channel and Skagerrak
• A.579(14) (adopted 1985) recommends that certain oil tankers, all chemical carriers and gas carriers and ships carrying radioactive material using the Sound (which separates Sweden and Denmark) should use pilotage services
• A.668(16) (adopted 1989) recommends the use of pilotage services in the Euro-Channel and IJ-Channel (in the Netherlands)
• A.710(17) (adopted 1991) recommends ships of over 70 metres in length and all loaded oil tankers, chemical tankers or liquefied gas carriers, irrespective of size, in the area of the Torres Strait and Great North East Channel, off Australia, to use pilotage services
• A.827(19) (adopted 1995) on Ships' Routeing includes in Annex 2 Rules and Recommendations on Navigation through the Strait of Istanbul (Bosphorus), the Strait of Canakkale(Dardanelles) and the Marmara Sea the recommendation that "Masters of vessels passing through the Straits are strongly recommended to avail themselves of the services of a qualified pilot in order to comply with the requirements of safe navigation."

Please find below link.

IMO
Pilotage (imo.org)

OCIMF（p.6)
https://media.ellinikahoaxes.gr/uploads/2021/03/Guidelines-Turkist-Straits.pdf