Published: June 2023
This publication has been revised to incorporate the latest guidance and practical advice for ships transiting the Great Barrier Reef and Torres Strait. All the data contained within this Guide has been reviewed and validated by Auriga Pilots, drawing on their considerable experience in all areas of the Marine Park and beyond.
It offers additional clarity on subjects such as maximum draught, ECDIS, ballast water management and Australian MARPOL areas. This is a valuable resource for any crew navigating the region.
In addition, a companion publication ‘Passage Planning Notes – South of Cairns, Whitsundays and Hydrographers Passage’ has been made freely available to download here. This contains passage notes and chartlets for the following routes:
- South of Cairns
- Whitsunday Passage
- Hydrographers Passage.
The Passage Planning Guide is designed to be used as part of the ship's pre-entry procedures and as a tool for refreshing the bridge team each time the ship is planning a passage through the GBRTS. This edition has been restructured to consolidate key information for both the Master and the bridge team.
The pull-out chartlets, which now feature satellite imagery and inset photos of key navigational marks, allow the book to be used in real time, enhancing situational awareness and giving the navigator an overview that can be lost on ships where ECDIS is the primary means of navigation.
Updated traffic information, including high density hotspots and case studies based on accident reports, effectively illustrate best navigational practice. New features also include an Auriga Pilot Ladder Checklist, to assist crews in preparing for pilot boarding, and a two-page overview chart of the controlling depths in the Torres Strait.
Additionally, the Guide includes two loose leaf copies of the Pre-Entry Bridge Team Meeting checklist to effectively aid bridge teams in planning their passage of the GBRTS.
Contents
Foreword
Acknowledgements
Notices
Explanation of Routes Shown on the Chartlets in this Guide
Glossary
PART 1 Background and Supporting Notes to the Guide
Reference PDFs to Download for the Region
1.1 Introduction to PPG – GBRTS
1.2 Masters’ Guidance for Arriving Ships (Notification and Papers)
1.3 Route Selection Through the Torres Strait/Great Barrier Reef
1.4 Designated Shipping Areas (DSAs)
1.5 Overview of Main Shipping Routes in GBRMP
1.6 Controlling Depths in The Torres Strait
1.7 Maximum Draught and the UKCM System in the Torres Strait
1.8 The Great Barrier Reef and Torres Strait Ship Reporting System (REEFREP) and REEFVTS
1.9 Planning Overview Charts: From Torres Strait (10° 30’S) to Sandy Cape (24° 30’S)
1.10 Pilotage and Regulations for Operating Cruise Ships in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park (GBRMP)
1.11 Pilot Booking Procedure and Contact Details
1.12 Pilot Boarding Grounds
1.13 Pilot Boarding Arrangements
1.14 Navigation with Pilot On Board and PPU
1.15 Auriga Pilots (AP)
1.16 Passage Planning
1.17 Guidance for OOW/Bridge Team in the Torres Strait/Great Barrier Reef
1.18 ECDIS Safety Settings
1.19 Use of ECDIS in ‘Two Colour/Four Colour’ Depth Shading Mode
1.20 Traffic
1.21 Tidal Streams and Currents
1.22 Winds
1.23 Tropical Cyclones
1.24 MARPOL and Environmental Considerations
1.25 Ballast Water Management in Australian Waters
1.26 Emergency Towage Vessel (ETV)
PART 2 Groundings, Incidents and Near Misses – Case Studies 53
2.1 Groundings, Incidents and Near Misses: Torres Strait
2.2 Groundings, Incidents and Near Misses: Off Cairns
2.3 Groundings, Incidents and Near Misses: Hydrographers Passage
PART 3 Traffic Hotspots in GBRTS 57
3.1 Traffic Hotspots
3.1.1 (Hotspot – E-Bound): Torres Strait, Varzin Channel
3.1.2 (Hotspot – E-Bound): Appr. Gannet Passage
3.1.3 (Hotspot – E-Bound): Transit Through Herald and Alert Patches
3.1.4 (Hotspot – S/N-Bound): Sunk and Frederick
3.1.5 (Hotspot – S-Bound): Gubbins Reef and Hope Islands
3.1.6 (Hotspot – S-Bound): Rounding Fitzroy Island
3.1.7 (Hotspot – S-Bound): Ferris Shoal to Bugatti Reef
3.1.8 (Hotspot – N-Bound): Between Tern Reef and Scawfell Island
3.1.9 (Hotspot – S/N-Bound): Appr. Cairns/Yorkeys Knob Pilot Boarding Grounds
3.1.10 (Hotspot – S/N-Bound): North Channel, Between Howick Island and Megaera Reef
3.1.11 (Hotspot – N-Bound): Piper Island to Inset Reef
3.1.12 (Hotspot – N-Bound): Clerke Island
3.1.13 (Hotspot – W-Bound): Torres Strait, East Part
PART 4 Passage Notes
Section 1 Great North East Channel
Great North East Channel – Eastbound
Great North East Channel – Westbound
Section 2 Inner Route
Inner Route – Southbound
Inner Route – Northbound
Section 3 Hydrographers Passage
Hydrographers Passage – Westbound
Hydrographers Passage – Eastbound
PART 5 Annexes
Annex 1 – Pre-Entry Bridge Team Meeting GBR and TS
Annex 2 – Approved Cruise Transit Corridors
Annex 3 – Authority Contacts in Great Barrier Reef and Torres Strait (GBRTS)
