Fremantle Pilots’ publicly available information to assist ships' masters with preparing a berth to berth passage plan was inadequate and ineffectively implemented. The information provided consisted essentially of a list of waypoints, which was routinely not followed.
The safety actions undertaken by Fremantle Pilots should ensure that the waypoint list made available to ship masters more closely matches the track that the pilot will follow. This will assist masters in more accurately preparing the required berth to berth passage plan.
Fremantle Pilots has advised the ATSB that it has reviewed the arrival and departure passage plans and updated waypoint lists are now available on the website.
Fremantle Pilots has also reviewed and updated its pilotage procedures with more clearly defined course requirements. The procedures also require the ‘recommended course from Deep Water Channel to be 180 (T)’ and that ‘the vessel is to be in line or nearly in line with the Inner Harbour entrance leads at least 7 cables from the Entrance Buoys’. The company further advised that ‘limits have been set on the Inner Harbour Passage Plan and the Bridge Team can challenge the Pilot if the vessel falls outside these limiting distances.’
