Wardan reaches Port of Bunbury waters

Southern Ports’ new cutting-edge pilot boat Wardan has arrived in Bunbury for a raft of local testing and trials ahead of an official naming ceremony to be held early next year.

The state-of-the-art pilot boat built by Hart Marine combines top-tier technology, safety and comfort all in a lightweight structure that renders the vessel resistant to corrosion, guaranteeing longevity and resilience in the harshest of marine conditions.

Southern Ports Chief Executive Officer Keith Wilks acknowledged the exciting milestone for the Port of Bunbury’s fleet.

“The arrival of Wardan into our port waters is a significant milestone for our marine team, who will take the pilot boat through testing, trials and training in the port setting before it commences operations,” said Mr Wilks.

“The transfer of our marine pilots from a pilot boat to the visiting ships doesn’t always happen in smooth seas. It’s why a boat like Wardan, which is designed with a beak bow to provide a more stable platform for pilots to transfer, is a worthwhile investment.”

Hart Marine Managing Director Mal Hart said that Wardan is a testament to Hart Marine’s commitment to innovation, safety and excellence in pilot vessel construction.

“Wardan is the perfect example of how we can bring together the technology at hand with the needs of our customer to deliver a great vessel,” said Mr Hart.

“We know Wardan is in fantastic hands, and she’ll add incredible strength and performance to Southern Ports’ Port of Bunbury operations.”

Under command of Hart Marine, Wardan travelled 1900 nautical miles by sea from Mornington in Melbourne to Bunbury last week.

The pilot boat got its name ‘Wardan’, meaning sea water off Wardandi country, after more than 800 entries were received into a community naming competition earlier this year.

The official naming ceremony for Wardan will take place in February where the eight winners of the naming competition will also have the opportunity to ride on the pilot boat.