Passage planning

Poor passage planning and unchecked deviation from the plan can lead to groundings, collisions and oil spills.

Passage planning or voyage planning is a procedure to develop a complete description of a vessel's voyage from start to finish. The plan includes leaving the dock and harbor area, the en route portion of a voyage, approaching the destination, and mooring, the industry term for this is 'berth to berth'.[1] According to international law, a vessel's captain is legally responsible for passage planning,[2] The duty of passage planning is usually delegated to the ship's navigation officer, typically the second officer on merchant ships.[3]

A Passage Plan is an important step in ensuring vital navigation information is readily available, crew and those ashore know what to expect, and to minimize the likelihood of accidents.[4] Passage planning is important for the safety of a vessel as it requires the correct assessment and establishment of safety settings, including adequate under keel clearance in regards to navigational risks.[1]

Studies show that human 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 on nautical charts to a process of risk management.[3]

  1. ^ a b Passage Planning Guidelines. Livingston: Witherby Publishing Group. 2021. p. 1. ISBN 9781856099813.
  2. ^ "Regulation 34 – Safe Navigation". IMO RESOLUTION A.893(21) adopted on 25 November 1999. Retrieved March 26, 2007.
  3. ^ a b c "ANNEX 24 – MCA Guidance Notes for Voyage Planning". IMO RESOLUTION A.893(21) adopted on 25 November 1999. Retrieved March 26, 2007.
  4. ^ "Passage Planning Template". Blue Water Sailing School. 11 November 2022. Retrieved 17 April 2023.