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 |
| Whitsunday (Penrith Is) |
21° 00'S / 149° 57'E |
16, 09 |
Helicopter 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 receival facilities if relevant.
Contact details for bookings as under:
| Telephone : |
+61 7 3026 2660 |
| Mobile : | +61 413 878 792 (24 hours) |
| Facsimile : | +61 7 3026 2666 |
| E-mail : |
operations@reefpilots.com.au |
| On-line : | Booking Form |
HYDROGRAPHERS PASSAGE
Boarding Ground
| Position |
VHF Channel |
Launch / Helicopter |
|
|
Blossom Bank |
19° 43S / 150° 26'E |
16, 09 |
Helicopter only |
Ordering a Pilot
Contact ARP in Brisbane five days (if possible) before arrival with following details:
- IMO Number/ Call Sign
- ETA Blossom Bank (GMT/UTC + 10 hours)
- suitability for a land down helicopter
- sea speed
All initial messages are acknowledged by ARP Brisbane, together with advice regarding ETA update requirements.
Contact details for bookings as under:
| Telephone : |
+61 7 3026 2660 |
| Mobile : | +61 413 878 792 (24 hours) |
| Facsimile : | +61 7 3026 2666 |
| E-mail : |
operations@reefpilots.com.au |
| On-line : | Booking Form |
Boarding Method
Pilots board by land-down helicopter, (shipmasters may care to consult the International Chamber of Shipping's "Guide to Helicopter/Ship Operations"). All crew should keep clear of the landing hatch unless instructed otherwise by the helicopter of reef pilot.
VHF Contact
The Reef Pilot helicopter will call on VHF channel 16 thirty to forty minutes before the given ETA, changing to channel 09 to give advice on boarding procedures.
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).
