Access to relevant navigational information resources is necessary to allow coastal pilots to fulfil their duty to provide information and advice to masters to assist the safe navigation of vessels in compulsory pilotage areas. Reference materials appropriate for each voyage will depend on the location of the coastal pilotage operation. They include (but may not be limited to):
- relevant Notices to Mariners (NTMs)
- relevant sections of the Annual Australian Notices to Mariners
- the REEFVTS User Manual
- relevant tide tables
- nautical charts of the coastal pilotage area(s)
- the Queensland Coastal Passage Plan (QCPP)
- all Pilot Advisory Notes (PANs)
- relevant Marine Notices (MNs)
- the default Fatigue Risk Management Plan (FRMP)
- Marine Order 54 (Coastal pilotage) 2014
- Navigation Act 2012
- International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea, 1972 (COLREGS)
- the Safety Management System (SMS) of the relevant pilotage provider
- Under Keel Clearance Management (UKCM) System printed transit plan (for applicable voyages)
- UKCM System back-up tool (for applicable voyages)
- any other publications or reference materials considered appropriate.
All accessed resources are to be the most up-to-date version available. The use of electronic versions is acceptable.
If electronic versions are carried solely (i.e. with no backup hard-copies available), all pilots’ electronic devices in use, including laptop computers, tablets, portable pilotage units etc., should be able to remain operable in the event of power loss aboard the piloted vessel, so that the necessary resources can be accessed as required. Such operation may require the use of portable external battery packs / chargers which operate independent of the vessel’s power supply.
The battery power (including all reserve power available via the use of external battery systems) for all electronic devices used by coastal pilots, should permit all devices to operate independently for the full extent of the coastal pilotage voyage being undertaken.
If electronic versions of the required resources cannot be accessed in the event of vessel power failure, pilots should consider carrying onboard hard-copies of relevant paper documents, publications, charts and reference materials, as required.
If electronic versions are carried (only), Check Pilots should (during the conduct of check voyages) simulate the loss of power by requesting the production of the required resource(s) while the pilot’s electronic device is operating on battery power alone.