Passage planning orvoyage planning is a procedure to develop a complete description of a vessel's voyage to safelynavigate from start to finish. The plan includes leaving the dock and harbor area, theen route portion of a voyage, approaching the destination, andmooring, the industry term for this is 'berth to berth'.[1] According to international law, a vessel'scaptain is legally responsible for passage planning.[2] The duty of passage planning is usually delegated to the ship's navigation officer, typically thesecond officer onmerchant ships.[3]
Passage plans are important for the safety of a vessel as it requires the correct assessment and establishment of safety settings. They ensure that vital navigation information is readily available, expectations for crew and those ashore are known, and minimize the likelihood of accidents.[4] The modern procedure for passage plans was developed by theInternational Maritime Organization and involves a four-stage process.[3][5]
Studies show thathuman error is a factor in 80 percent of navigational accidents and that in many cases the human making the error had access to information that could have prevented the accident.[3] The practice of voyage planning has evolved from penciling lines onnautical charts to a process ofrisk management.[3]
Passage planning consists of four key stages: appraisal, planning, execution, and monitoring.[3][5] These stages are specified inInternational Maritime Organization Resolution A.893(21), Guidelines For Voyage Planning,[6] which are, in turn, reflected in the local laws of IMO signatory countries.[7] TheGuidelines specify fifty elements of passage planning, some of which are only applicable in certain situations.[8] A fifth stage, analysis is also recommended, which involves a debriefing after the passage plan to review its effectiveness for future voyage planning.[5]
TheGuidelines specify three key items to consider in the practice of voyage planning:
Voyage planning starts with the appraisal stage. Before each voyage begins, navigators develop a detailedmental model of how the entire voyage will proceed.[8] The appraisal stage consists of gathering and contemplating all information relevant to the voyage. Much of this appraisal is done by consultingnautical charts,nautical publications and performing a number of technical tasks such as weather forecasting, prediction of tides and currents, and checks of local regulations and warnings.[9]
Nautical publications are a valuable guide to local conditions and regulations, but they must be updated and actually read to be of any use.[10] These publications could includeSailing Directions andCoast Pilots or similar texts produced by other authorities.[9]
Once information is gathered and considered, the navigator can begin the process of planning the voyage. The process involves projecting various future events including landfalls, narrow passages, and course changes expected during the voyage.[8] This mental model becomes the standard by which the navigator measures progress toward the goal of a safe and efficient voyage, and it is manifested in a passage plan.[8]
A good passage plan will include a track line laid out upon the best-scale charts available.[11] This track is judged with respect to at least nine separate criteria given in theGuidelines including under-keel clearance, safe speed, air draft, the use of routing and reporting services (TSS and VTS), and the availability of contingencies in case of emergency.[12]
The navigator will draw and redraw thetrack line until it is safe, efficient, and in line with all applicable laws and regulations.[8] When the track is finished, it is becoming common practice to also enter it into electronic navigation tools such as anElectronic Chart Display and Information System, achartplotter, anARPA system, or aGPS unit.[13] When passage planning on ECDIS, it is important to calculate the safety settings for the ECDIS.[14] The navigator should calculate bothunder keel clearance and overhead vertical clearance (if passing under obstructions).[1][14] The calculation should include an allow for the height oftide (if applicable), the vessel'sdraught,squat and a safety allowance.[14] This provides the navigator with a minimum UKC value that can then be compared with charted depths on electronic or paper chats to ensure the vessel's courses in the passage plan have sufficient depth to navigate safely.[15]
When working in a team environment, the passage plan should be communicated to the navigation team in a pre-voyage conference in order to ensure that all members of the team share the same mental model of the entire trip.[8]
The third stage of passage planning is the execution stage. The IMO was careful to include execution as part of the process of passage planning. This underscores the fact that theGuidelines list a number of tasks that are to executed during the course of the voyage. It also reiterates the captain's responsibility to treat the plan as a "living document" and to review or change it in case of any special circumstances that should arise.[16]
The fourth and final stage of voyage planning is the monitoring stage. Once the voyage has begun the progress of the vessel along its planned route must be monitored. This requires that the ship's position be determined, using standard methods includingdead reckoning,celestial navigation,pilotage, andelectronic navigation.
According to theGuidelines, the passage plan should always be available to theofficer on watch on the bridge. TheGuidelines also specify that deviations from the plan should be clearly recorded and be consistent with other provisions of theGuidelines.[17]
In modern times, computer software can greatly simplify the passage planning process and ensure that nothing important is overlooked.[8] Passage planning software may include functions such as waypoint management, distance calculators, tide and tidal currentpredictors, celestial navigational calculators, consumables estimators for fuel, oil, water, and stores, and other useful applications.[8]
| General references |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Nautical charts | ||
| Lights and buoys | ||
| Geographic information | ||
| Celestial navigation | ||
| Tidal information | ||
| Radio information | ||
| Periodicals | ||
| See also | ||
