POSEIDON Sea Pilots is set commence pilotage services in Victorian ports from Monday 10 October.

A subsidiary of Australian Maritime Systems (AMS) Group, Poseidon Sea Pilots will operate in ports of Melbourne, Geelong and Hastings.

Poseidon vessels Trident and Yorke hit the water on Friday (7 October), with six marine pilots currently employed across the three Victorian ports.

The company is entering Victoria’s pilotage market after close to a year of providing services in Port of Brisbane under a tender it won last year.

Poseidon parent company AMS Group CEO Glen Marshall told DCN the move to Melbourne has been almost nine months in the making, building off mobilisation and operations in Brisbane.

He said there has been a great deal of enthusiasm around the Poseidon Sea Pilots’ arrival in Victoria, but acknowledged it is entering a competitive environment.

The company will be the third pilotage service provider to operate in Melbourne and Geelong, and the second to work in Hastings.

“The intent is to go in slowly but very methodically so that … we can demonstrate that our systems, processes and the training we’ve got for our people are second-to-none, and that we can always deliver on what we’ve promised,” Mr Marshall said.

He said each pilot in the initial team has been employed by Melbourne services in the past but are dual-qualified to work in Brisbane when needed.

“The intent is to build a pool of 45 pilots in Brisbane and have them cross-trained across multiple sites around Australia,” he said.

“It’s going to be very exciting both for the clients we support … because it allows surge capacity in any of the ports, it provides greater flexibility for us as an organisation, and it also provides more professional development for the individual pilots.”

Mr Marshall said simulator training in Brisbane has enhanced the pilots’ knowledge of critical turns and components of navigation in Victorian ports.

“We’re also doing a lot of mentoring as well,” he said. “Some of the very experienced pilots are still engaging with the more junior pilots on the water.”

The company has welcomed pilotage vessels Trident and Yorke as its “newest team members”. The vessels are reportedly capable of operating in each of the Victorian ports Poseidon pilots will work in.

“The Trident has been purpose built by Hart Marine in Melbourne, and it’s designed to go out the heads in all types of weather,” Mr Marshall said.

“It’d definitely be the newest and the best boat on the water for the next year or two.”

As the pilotage business establishes itself in Victoria over time, Mr Marshall said AMS Group intends to grow the company and strengthen relationships with the port community.

“AMS provides a lot of port infrastructure, support services and advice through various technologies, so we’re working very actively with the various port stakeholders both in Melbourne and elsewhere around the country,” he said.

“Port of Melbourne is definitely one of our key focuses for growing our businesses, and it’s not just from the pilotage perspective – it’s all the technologies and our ability to integrate various types of software to enhance the efficiency and productivity of shipping, but also the port infrastructure.”

Poseidon Sea Pilots will take its first clients in Victoria on Monday 10 October.