This biennial resupply voyage includes a complete turnover of BOM personnel and the transportation of tradesmen, freight, food, equipment, and gasoline to the Bureau’s offshore station on Willis Island, located 450 kilometres east of Cairns in the Coral Sea. Since 2014, North Marine has met this contractual requirement every six months, with additional ’emergency mobilization’ cruises given if needed. The complicated travels involve precise planning with BOM and customs, including performance reporting, biosecurity precautions, and quarantine compliance. The resupply expedition usually takes around nine days, giving plenty of time for consultation and planning before each departure.

The logistical complexities of the offshore supply voyage include several considerations:

Tidal restrictions govern particular access times to the island, while Queensland’s unpredictable weather conditions further limit cruise dates.

The island’s steep sand slopes complicate logistics for transporting significant freight and fuel to this distant area.

Transferring craftsmen and bureau personnel, many of whom are unfamiliar with long sea voyages, presents a hurdle. Each cruise carries ten or more passengers, including a rotation of meteorology workers and tradespeople who live and work on the island.

Each voyage involves the transportation of a variety of machinery and equipment, with some items remaining consistent (e.g., fuel, weather balloons, food), while extra cargo varies from trip to trip, ranging from bulk building materials to specialist equipment.

Government Supplier Services for the Sea Marine Services in Asia Pacific and North America As local marine contractors situated in the Port of Cairns, Queensland, Asia Pacific and North Marine have a long history of delivering maritime support services to government agencies and the public sector. Notably, the companies work with the Bureau of Meteorology and have a long-term arrangement with the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS) to maintain public moorings across the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. They also participate in a number of tenders with Maritime Safety Queensland (MSQ) and local authorities.

Small and medium-sized marine firms in Cairns, Queensland
Extensive experience in government contracting
Capable of carrying out logistically complicated projects
Workforce from FNQ
A fleet of suitable charter vessels for carrying out work
Developed working connections with border patrol and customs.
Maintain all necessary permits
Management with experience and talented employees throughout the board
Suppliers who are ethical, environmentally conscious, and socially conscious.

Marine Services Asia Pacific and North Marine supply the vessels for these missions cooperatively, bolstering their capabilities in carrying out these critical offshore supply journeys for the Bureau of Meteorology.