She helped transport maritime pilots between inbound or outbound ships coming into the New York Harbor.

[1] On September 25, 1845, George W. Blunt bout the Nettle, as he signed a letter to the editor of the Washington Union, to insert a message in the paper, which said he was the true and only owner of the Nettle, of New York, built at Boston, Massachusetts in the year 1844, per enrollment in the port of Boston.

On August 6, 1947, off Montauk, New York, she helped rescue the passengers from the sinking schooner Sarah Strong.

The next day the Nettle helped in the transfer the passengers from the Brig Ann Maria and take them into port.

The following report was recorded in the ship's Logbook: "Sunday 15th, at three P.M. fell in with the wreck of bark Belle of Boston, dismasted and waterlogged; attempted to tow her, but wind being light made no impression upon her; lay by her all night... At noon nothing of her was above water but the stern and rudder.

She lays lame literally in the track of vessels bound to and from the eastward, being 70 miles from Sandy Hook in 20 fathoms of water" [6] On March 29, 1864, the pilot boat Nettle, came up to the Portland, Maine port and saw a vessel with two bright lights ten miles from Cape Elizabeth Lights.

[7] On August 6, 1868, Captain Joseph Lockman of the pilot boat Nettle, found the wreck of the bark Henry Trowbridge, forty miles from Sandy Hook.

[10] On February 28, 1876, the wreck of the pilot boat Nettle, was reported lying one mile from the outer bar buoy in 4 1/2 fathoms of water, with her bowsprit underwater; in the Pensacola Bay.