IN a press release, Poseidon Sea Pilots said they are “ready to go” as the clock ticks down to the day they take over pilotage duties in Brisbane.

The group last year won the tender to deliver pilotage services in the Brisbane Pilotage Area for the next decade, with a start date of 1 January 2022.

PSP general manager Robert Buck said the company had employed a “full strong cohort of sea pilots, marine pilot trainees, support crew and admin staff”.

“In preparedness, we set ourselves the challenge of being ready well ahead of time, and I’m proud to say the team has done it. All of our team, operations and processes, technology and vessels will all be in place and ready to go by December 1,” Mr Buck said.

“We have employed a range of marine pilots from very experienced, more than 15 years of pilotage experience, right through the ranks needed for our operation.”

Mr Buck said PSP has been working to bring diversity into the pilotage crew.

“We’ve drawn together different nationalities, cultures and experiences to create a very experienced and dynamic team,” he said.

“We’re excited to have launched a specialist pilotage training course with the first group of talented master mariners are currently undertaking hours of study, practical river and bay experience and significant simulator time.

“Education, inspiration and mentoring is what will shape the marine pilots of tomorrow, we must invest into training if we’re to attract the best people and secure Queensland an enduring stream of highly experienced pilots over a long period of time.”

Mr Buck said PSP’s owner, AMS Group, had developed specialist capability for PSP.

“We’re fortunate to be owned by one of the world’s most respected leaders in maritime and aviation safety and technology, AMS Group,” he said.

“Over the past six months, we’ve had their best-of-the-best building and upgrading systems that will be used in the Brisbane Pilotage Area.”

With PSP beginning operations as the clock strikes midnight on 31 December, Brisbane Marine Pilots will no longer be piloting ships into Brisbane, as they have for the past 30 years.

A significant amount of pilotage expertise remains in the company and in August, BMP partnered with Auriga Group, which has been expanding its pilotage operations around Australia.