Parker and Kwilena – Two 19.2 metre Berkeley Class pilot boats by Dongara Marine

In March 2023, it was announced that Dongara Marine had been awarded a contract to build and supply two new pilot boats for use in the Western Australian port of Fremantle.
Officially christened in early October 2024, Parker was named in honour of Fremantle Ports’ former Chief Executive Officer Michael Parker, who passed away in earlier in the same year. Kwilena takes it name from the name for dolphin in the Noongar dialect.
Award of the contract followed on from Fremantle Ports issuing a public tender in 2022 through which it sought to obtain new vessels with core functional / operational performance requirements including:
• Conduct between 250 and 300 pilot transfers per month
• Have an operating speed of 25 knots
• Carry out security patrols of Fremantle Ports waters every day twice daily, safely and reliably, and with minimal fuel consumption at cruise speed
• Estimated 2,500 operating hours per year per boat
The tender further specified that the hullform “must be of a design that delivers exceptional comfort, safety and operational performance for the sea states found in Fremantle Ports waters.”
At a minimum the vessels were also required to be able to safely carry out pilot transfers in average wind speed of 40 knots (Beaufort scale 8, Gale) and sea and swell height up to 4.0 metres (WMO Sea State 5, Rough).
Award of the contract to Dongara Marine built on the proven success of earlier Berkeley Class pilot boats that Fremantle Ports had chartered to work as its primary pilot boat – Berkeley from July 2015 to June 2020 followed by Genesis from June 2020 until October 2024 when Parker and its sister vessel Kwilena entered service.
Those earlier vessels had demonstrated features critical to successful pilot boat operation:
• High open water speed for fast transits
• Extreme stability with confirmed self-righting
• High levels of seakeeping, directional control, and manoeuvrability
• Superior dryness
• Enhanced habitability through reduced noise, vibration, and heat transfer.
While sharing those same core features, and drawing many details from Genesis, Parker and Kwilena have further customisations and updates to meet specific requests from Fremantle Ports. These include:
• Water ballast tank to enable stability and seakeeping to be further enhanced during extreme sea conditions
• Enhanced pilot transfer zone including a revised pilot rail arrangement, and the innovative impact absorbent decking first introduced on Svitzer Marlin
• Inclusion of a FLIR colour thermal imaging camera for enhanced search and rescue and surveillance capacity
• Mast mounted camera for monitoring pilots as the ascend / descend pilot ladders
• A lighter version of the man overboard recovery platform, manufactured in-house by Dongara Marine under licence to Goodchild Marine using marine grade aluminium
• Steering remote controls that can be used to make course, heading, rudder angle, or autopilot mode changes from anywhere onboard
Reflecting Dongara Marine’s capacity and efficiency, the two vessels were completed ahead of schedule and handed over to Fremantle Ports 18 months after contract signing.
Video courtesy of ‪@fremantleports7842‬