Passage Planning

Every voyage — from berth to berth — must be planned before departure. This is not a recommendation: SOLAS Chapter V Regulation 34 makes it mandatory for all ships. The companion instrument, IMO Resolution A.893(21) — Guidelines for Voyage Planning, sets out in detail how that planning should be conducted. The internationally adopted framework has four stages: Appraise → Plan → Execute → Monitor.

The passage plan must be prepared by the Officer in Charge of the navigational watch (or, on large vessels, the Navigating Officer) and approved by the Master before departure. It must cover the complete intended voyage from berth to berth, including the pilotage portions. A digital ECDIS passage plan satisfies the requirement, provided the plan has been formally approved and can be demonstrated to port state control.

The four stages

APPRAISEGathering all relevant information
- Charts — ENCs (ECDIS) plus paper backup where required; scale selection; chart currency via NtM or chart-agent service.
- Sailing Directions (Pilots) and port guides for each port and coastal area on the intended route.
- Lists of Lights, buoyancy aids publications (ALRS Vol 6 for SAR), tide tables, tidal stream atlases.
- Notices to Mariners — T&P NtMs, chart corrections accumulated since last update.
- Ship's particulars: arrival draft (FWD/AFT), air draft, UKC (Under Keel Clearance) policy, squat calculation at entry speed.
- Weather and climatology: routeing charts, forecast services (NAVTEX, Inmarsat, OCENS), seasonal considerations.
- ETA constraints: tidal windows, daylight pilotage requirements, berth availability, VTS pre-arrival reporting.
- Traffic Separation Schemes (TSS) and precautionary areas under COLREGs Rule 10.
- Port-specific requirements: deep-water routes, compulsory pilotage, VHF channels, anchor positions.
- Security considerations: BMP5 for HRA, UKMTO reporting area, Houthi threat zone in southern Red Sea.
PLANPreparing the written passage plan
- Courses to steer (true) — laid off on largest-scale charts; rhumb-line vs great-circle decision based on distance and latitude.
- Distances per leg; total voyage distance; sea-passage time at service speed.
- No-go areas: plotted in red on chart and ECDIS as safety contours or prohibited areas.
- Parallel indexing marks for coastal transits (radar PI lines, set relative to conspicuous radar targets).
- Contingency anchorages or ports of refuge at key abort points.
- Abort points (point-of-no-return for each high-risk leg, e.g. Suez transit).
- Calling-up points (CUPs): positions at which Master must be called; defined in ship's standing orders.
- Wheel-over points (WOP) for each alteration of course, with corresponding clearing bearings.
- Speed alterations: congested areas, restricted visibility, ICE-class operating limits.
- Bridge Procedures Guide (ICS 5th Ed 2022) — used as checklist framework for plan format.
EXECUTEDeparting and proceeding on the plan
- Bridge resource management (BRM): OOW responsibilities, Master on bridge policy, lookout posting.
- Watch handover: outgoing OOW briefs incoming on ship's position, course, speed, traffic, weather, any outstanding actions.
- Master–pilot exchange (MPX): pilot card exchanged, UKC confirmed, berthing plan reviewed, VHF channels agreed.
- ECDIS cross-check with radar overlay; XTE alarms set to appropriate safe corridor width.
- Helmsman briefing at each main alter-course position.
- Course alterations recorded immediately in deck log with position, time, and reason.
MONITORVerifying progress against the plan throughout
- Frequent position fixes using best available method (visual bearing + GNSS, radar ranges, ECDIS cross-track error).
- Fix frequency appropriate to proximity to hazards: open ocean every hour minimum; coastal every 6–15 minutes.
- XTE (cross-track error) alarms on ECDIS monitored; any sustained drift investigated immediately.
- Deviations from plan: formally noted in deck log with reason; plan amended as necessary and Master informed.
- Monitoring of weather and sea state against forecast; trigger early if deviation from forecast warrants re-routing.
- NAVTEX watch maintained; urgent navigational warnings broadcast acted on promptly.

Legal framework

SOLAS Chapter V Regulation 34 — Safe navigation and avoidance of dangerous situations. Mandates that prior to proceeding to sea the Master shall ensure the intended voyage has been planned using appropriate charts and publications. Applies to all ships to which SOLAS applies.
IMO Resolution A.893(21) — Guidelines for Voyage Planning (1999) — The main IMO guidance document giving detailed content for each of the four stages. Adopted by the IMO Assembly in 1999; still current and referenced by port state control in PSC inspections.
Bridge Procedures Guide (ICS 5th Edition 2022) — Industry standard from the International Chamber of Shipping. Chapter on passage planning provides a practical template for the written plan, including plan amendment procedures and Master's approval sign-off.
STCW Section A-VIII/2 — Watchkeeping at sea — Connects passage planning to watchkeeping responsibilities. Each officer of the watch is responsible for monitoring the vessel's progress against the approved plan.

High-risk area considerations during appraise

High-Risk Area (HRA) — Indian Ocean: BMP5 (Best Management Practices for Protection against Somalia-Based Piracy, 2018) requires UKMTO pre-arrival report, MSCHOA registration, and implementation of the ship protection measures (SPM) listed in BMP5 before entering the IRTC. Note: as of 2024 the primary active threat has shifted to Houthi attacks in the southern Red Sea and Bab-el-Mandeb.
Red Sea / Bab-el-Mandeb: Since late 2023, Houthi forces have attacked commercial shipping. Owners, P&I clubs, and war-risk insurers are issuing revised guidance frequently. The passage planner must check the latest BIMCO/IMO/UKMTO circulars, consider the Cape of Good Hope diversion (~3,000 NM longer but lower risk), and confirm the insurer's position before transiting.
Strait of Malacca: IMO-designated TSS; IMO-agreed Malacca Strait Patrol (MSP) operates between Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore. Petty theft and opportunistic boarding remain a risk at slow-speed anchorage approaches. ReCAAP and IMB reports consulted in appraise stage.

Worked example: Singapore → Rotterdam via Suez Canal

Distance approximately 8,500 NM. At 12 kt sea speed, passage time is approximately 29 days (including Suez transit waiting time). The appraise stage identifies seven distinct legs with different risk profiles, planning requirements, and regulatory regimes.

Singapore (PSA Pasir Panjang) departure
High traffic — Western Anchorage, Phillip Channel. OOW + Master on bridge. VHF Ch 14 VTIS West.
Strait of Malacca transit
TSS northbound lane. Traffic density very high. Piracy and robbery risk in Malacca Strait; bridge team on heightened watch; binoculars, deck lighting check.
Indian Ocean passage (Malacca → Gulf of Aden)
Open-ocean leg ~3,500 NM. Seasonal monsoon routing May–September; routeing chart consulted. Great-circle vs rhumb assessed (minor benefit at this latitude).
Gulf of Aden / Bab-el-Mandeb
Active Houthi/HRA threat zone. BMP5 measures: UKMTO registration, MSCHOA vessel movement reporting, citadel readiness, fire hoses rigged, night watches enhanced. Red Sea passage decision (via Suez) vs Cape of Good Hope diversion assessed against owner's/insurer's guidance.
Suez Canal transit
Compulsory pilotage (Canal Pilot Authority). Pre-arrival documents to Suez Canal Authority 24–72 h. Transit speed limits, searchlight requirement (northbound night transit). UKC monitored in Great Bitter Lake anchorage during convoy wait.
Mediterranean (Port Said → Gibraltar)
~1,900 NM. Traffic in Strait of Sicily (no formal TSS but dense); Strait of Gibraltar TSS (COLREGs Rule 10 applies). Weather check: Mistral / Levanter.
Rotterdam (Europoort) arrival
Pilot boarding area 'MV' buoy (pilot ladder SOLAS-compliant height). Maas approach — deep-water route for large DWT vessels. VTS Vessel Traffic Centre Rotterdam (VHF 11/14). Tide-dependent berth approach for vessels > 13 m draft.

Port state control and passage plan inspections

A PSC officer may request to see the passage plan for the current or most recently completed voyage. Typical deficiencies cited: no record of Master's approval; no-go areas not plotted; UKC not documented; plan not updated to reflect actual routing changes; no contingency anchorages identified for the coastal portions. Under Paris MoU and Tokyo MoU guidelines, a missing or inadequate passage plan can result in a deficiency code 15100 (Navigation — voyage or passage plan) and, in extreme cases, detention.