IT WAS champagne showers at Queenscliff Harbour in June this year when Port Philip Sea Pilots christened the newest addition to their fleet, PV Torquay.
A ceremony attended by more than 70 guests, including local MP Alison Marchant, local mayor Ross Ebbels, stakeholders and friends of PPSP, introduced Torquay to the world on a rare sunny winter’s day in Victoria.
The christening coincided with PPSP’s 185th anniversary. PPSP is the oldest pilotage service in Victoria, having begun pre-federation in 1839 when what is now Victoria was still part of New South Wales. In fact, the NSW government at the time granted the operating license to PPSP founder George Tobin on condition that “the appointment must not bring any expense on the government”.
Victoria’s first pilotage service had undoubtedly humble beginnings in what was very much a rough and ready, albeit burgeoning period for this region of Australia. To illustrate this, the original pilots camped on the beach at Queenscliff where the PPSP pilot station stands today and were taken to and from ships by 30-foot whaleboats, often manned by convicts.
Now, 185 years on, PPSP has retained the innovative spirit that first allowed their growth, continuing to push the boundaries and respond to challenges, for example in the sustainably designed Torquay. One might ask how a company retains the level of open-mindedness and drive required to remain a key player in an industry like pilotage for 185 years. The answer, at least for PPSP’s current trajectory, lies in part with its CEO Thorsten Werges.
Mr Werges hails from Germany. His background is expansive, with prior experience in the worlds of business and marketing, and even a seven-year stint at NATO, before joining PPSP as CEO in April 2022. Taking the helm at the oldest pilotage company in Victoria could have been either exciting or daunting for an incoming CEO.
“This is not your usual call, so it’s definitely excitement and the demanding environment we’re operating in that attracts me,” Mr Werges said.
“I have Viking roots; my great-grandfather and my great-great-grandfather were both seafarers. Exploring was in their blood. Port Phillip Sea Pilots is one of the oldest and most respected pilot service providers globally … If you are in business for more than 185 years, there must have been a lot of things that you did right.”
No ordinary launch
PPSP has been active in keeping with a maritime industry in the process of going green, in line with efforts to help preserve the environment of Port Phillip Bay. Torquay represents this commitment in physical form, boasting fuel-efficient dual-Volva Penta engines and corresponding technology that limit the vessel’s emissions by up to 30%. Moreover, it has been built to be able to be converted to alternative biofuels if and when they become a viable alternative.
“Talking about the future, we’re keen on growth, but organically,” Mr Werges explained. “For example, take the PPU that we have right now. It is probably one of the most precise in the world. It was developed and designed in house by some of our pilots driven from a need for greater precision, reliability and independence than what was commercially available. The next generation we’ve been working on might be available for a much broader audience.”
Torquay was built by Hart Marine, frequent collaborators with PPSP, marking the seventh partnership between the two.
It was also part of an industry collaboration; South Australia’s Flinders Ports made way for their planned build for a pilot vessel to prioritise the build for PPSP at the Hart factory.
Delivery of the Torquay followed an incident involving PPSP’s pilot vessel Corsair, which ran aground on a reef extending from Point Lonsdale in October 2023. No injuries were reported, but the vessel was wrecked.
New frontiers
With artificial intelligence transforming the world we live in, industries are becoming ever open to its development and integration, not least of all in maritime. However, with great power comes great responsibility, and the dangers of overreliance on new technologies are ever-present. As for pilotage, AI has yet to be implemented, but as to its possible integration in pilotage moving forward, Mr Werges is broad-minded but realistic.
“The key is not saying ‘We’ve always done it that way, so let’s keep doing it that way’ but always challenging boundaries,” he said.
“AI is a smart and effective technology that will further evolve. However, if you ask me, it’s hard to imagine you would have a vessel operating without a pilot on board, for example through the Heads here in Queenscliff. I think there are some positives and some challenges and definitely areas where you can think of remote pilotage or even AI-based pilotage, however, to change the regulation towards relying completely on AI will ultimately mean to take on a lot more risk.”
“My question for you is: If there was an aircraft piloted only by AI, would you feel entirely safe stepping onboard as a passenger? The same applies to this marine environment; you always want to have this extra human layer of safety, experience and reliability.
“Just look at the recent outage of CrowdStrike. There is the danger of allowing an additional, uncalculated level of risk from a cybersecurity point of view without having the safety net of a human backup.”
This article appeared in the August | September 2024 edition of DCN Magazine
