Boarding Details
INNER ROUTE AND GREAT NORTH EAST CHANNEL
Boarding Grounds
In any Queensland, NSW, NT or PNG port or at any of the following offshore boarding grounds:
| Position |
VHF Channel |
Launch / Helicopter |
|
| Brisbane (Pt Cartwright) |
26° 43S / 151° 22'E |
16 |
Launch |
| Gladstone (North Point) |
23° 44'S / 151° 22'E |
16, 12 |
Launch or Helicopter |
| Hydrographers Passage (Torlesse Island) |
10° 48'S / 152° 07'E |
16, 11 |
Launch only |
| Whitsunday (Bailey Is) |
21° 00'S / 149° 36'E |
16, 09 |
Helicopter only |
| Palm Passage (Pith Reef) |
18° 13'S / 147° 07'E |
16, 09 |
Helicopter only |
| Grafton Passage (Euston Reef) |
16° 39'S / 146° 14'E |
20 |
Launch or Helicopter |
| Cairns (Yorkeys Knob) |
16° 44'S / 145° 45'E |
20 |
Launch or Helicopter |
|
Gove |
12° 09'S / 136° 57'E |
16 |
Launch |
| Great North East Channel (Dalrymple Is) |
9° 34'S / 143° 24'E |
20 |
Launch |
| Torres St (Goods Is) |
10° 34'S / 142° 04'E |
20 |
Launch or Helicopter |
| Torres St (Booby Is) |
10° 36'S / 141° 50'E |
20 |
Launch or Helicopter |
Pilot Booking Procedure
Contact ARP in Brisbane five days (if possible) before arrival with following details:
- IMO Number/ Call Sign
- required boarding ground
- ETA (GMT/UTC + 10 hours)
- deepest draft
- destination
- sea speed
All initial messages are acknowledged by ARP Brisbane, together with advice regarding ETA update requirements and helicopter facilities if relevant.
Contact details for bookings as under:
| Telephone : |
+61 7 3666 4000 |
| Mobile : | +61 413 878 792 (24 hours) |
| Facsimile : | +61 7 3666 4040 |
| E-mail : |
operations@reefpilots.com.au |
HYDROGRAPHERS PASSAGE
Boarding Ground
| Position |
VHF Channel |
Launch / Helicopter |
|
|
Torlesse Island |
10° 48S / 152° 07'E |
16, 11 |
Launch only |
Ordering a Pilot
Contact ARP in Brisbane seven days before arrival with following details:
- IMO Number/ Call Sign
- ETA Torlesse Is (GMT/UTC + 10 hours)
All initial messages are acknowledged by ARP Brisbane, together with advice regarding ETA update requirements.
Contact details for bookings as under:
| Telephone : |
+61 7 3666 4000 |
| Mobile : | +61 413 878 792 (24 hours) |
| Facsimile : | +61 7 3666 4040 |
| E-mail : |
operations@reefpilots.com.au |
Boarding Method
Pilots board by Launch. Please rig a ladder/combination on the lee side, 1.5 metres above the water, with man-ropes. Please have a heaving line available.
VHF Contact
The Reef Pilot mothership can be contacted approximately 2 hours before boarding time on vhf 16.
Ordering a Pilot Outbound
We would request that Reef Pilots Brisbane to be given as much notice as possible, either directly or via the port agent at Hay Point/Dalrymple Bay.
Note
Hay Point to Japan via Hydrographers/Diamond/Jomard Passages is about 250 miles shorter than the Capricorn/Rossel route. Hay Point to Europe via Hydrographers/Jomard North of PNG and Suez is about 150 miles shorter than the route via the Great Australian Bight. Hay Point to Europe via Hydrographers/Jomard/North of PNG and Cape of Good Hope is about 600 miles longer than the Great Australian Bight route, (but much shorter in steaming time, especially in winter months).
