1

VOYAGE
PLANNING
 Chapter 1
The learning objective for this chapter is :
• What is voyage planning?
• Who is responsible?
• How do we comply with the rules?

Voyage planning
• support the bridge team
• all navigator must be briefed about changes.
• Follow the STCW convention
 Company policy and procedures 1

Every management or ship-owning company should have a safety management policy. It should provide
practical guidance concerning safe navigation and include :

• A clear statement of safety

• Allocation of bridge watchkeeping duties
• Use clear procedures
• Use updated charts and publications
• Ensure that all equipment is working properly
• Advice concerning emergency responses
• Follow reporting procedures
• Log all events
• Use standard procedures for crew change
• Try seagull CES
• Make company contacts regularly
 Voyage plan considerations 1
A voyage plan should aim to establish the most favourable route while maintaining appropriate margins of safety
and safe passing distances offshore.
When deciding upon the route, the following factors are amongst those that should be taken into account.
• The marine environment
• Lighthouses and seamarks
• Type of cargo can influence on route selection
• If possible avoid areas with onshore set
• Follow traffic separation schemes Good Voyage Planning = Good
• Check technical system before departure Seamanship
 When should voyage planning be done?
A voyage plan should be prepared and thoroghly checked before departure.
• Plan prior to departure
• The Master should check that the tracks are safe
• The Master should exercise professional judgement

Route validation
When a route planning process is completed, it is highly recommended that the whole route is validated and
checked against required safety limit.
If an ECDIS is used for route planning, validation against pre-set limits can be executed by the systems.
Whatever method validation is used, always remember that the responsibility for safe routeing remains with the
navigators.
 Responsibility for voyage planning
• ·The Master may delegate the initial responsibility
• ·The Master is responsible for the voyage plan

Principle of passage planning

It is unlikely that every detail of the voyage plan has been anticipated. These does not detract from the value of
the plan, which is to mark out in advance where the ship must not go.
There are four main stages in the planning of the safe voyage :
• Appraisal
• Planning
• Execution
• Monitoring
 Plan appraisal
Only up-to-date- publications should be used.

Planning
• Only official nautical charts should be used

• An ocean passage requires less planning of courses, etc

• Navigation in coastal waters requires concentrated preparations

 Voyage Control
The route plan should take into account the need to monitor the ship’s position along the route.

The main elements of a route plan :

• Planned track showing the true course of each leg

• Leg distances

• Any speed changes required an route

• Wheel over positions where appropriate

• Planned turn radius or turn rate where appropriate

• Maximum allowed off track margins of each leg

 Voyage planning using electronic chart display
• Voyage planning can be done on paper charts

• The use of Electronic Chart Display and Information Systems (ECDIS) is subject to the approval of the flag

state.
• Professional voyage planning takes time

Voyage planning on ECDIS

• Voyage planning on ECDIS offer the navigator a number of options
• Safe voyage planning remains the full responsibility of the Captain
 Use of RNC Charts
In case of the whole route is not covered by Raster Navigational Charts (RNC), it is strongly recommended to do

the whole planning on paper charts.

The following point should be given special attention :

• Position transferred to electronic systems must be checked

• Known datum difference must be applied

• The whole voyage plan must be checked before use

Transferring route plans to other navigation aids

In this example ship’s draught is 8 meters.

Route planning is done on datum EUR-50 and ship

positioning is done by GPS. The ship will run
aground.
 Voyage planning in restricted areas
• Margins of safety in restricted waters can be critical
• The ship ability to manoeuver, may influence the route

Navigation in costal water

selected
• Costal weather bulletin and navigational warnings may
require change to original route plan
 Monitoring
• Monitoring of the ship intended track can be done visually
• ECDIS, INS and other ,modern system can be provided a lot of
useful information to the navigator

Pre-arrival planning
• A preliminary plan should be prepared
• The plan should also identify charted features
 Navigation with pilot
in order to prepared for the pilot, an information exchange between the ship and the pilot should take place prior
to boarding.
Examples of “information Forms” are available from several sources.
Once the pilot is on board, the passage plan may need to be discussed in more detail. “Ship Manoeuvring” and
“Ship Particulars” information should be available on the bridge.

Use of ship routeing

Nautical publications should always be consulted for up to date information about traffic separation schemes.
ship routeing measures have been introduced in a number of coastal waters to :
• Reduce the risk of collision between ship in areas of high traffic densities
• Keep shipping away from environmentally sensitive sea area
• Reduce the risk of grounding in shallow waters
 IMO ship routeing systems
The following elements are used in the IMO routeing system :

• Separation of opposing traffic

• Traffic lane
• Separation zone
• Roundabouts
• Inshore traffic zone
• Recommended route
• Deep-water route
• Recommended track through
archipelagic area
• Two-way route wit one-way route
section through a precautionary area
• Area to be avoided
 Ship reporting system
Details of IMO adopted system are found in part G og the IMO publication ship routing and in IMO Res.A.531
(13) and Res.A.648 (16)
• A number of coastal states have established ship reporting systems
• In the future, a world wide ship reporting system is expected to be made compulsory for all ship

Vessel traffic services (VTS)

the main purpose of a VTS is to make shipping safer in a particular area by monitoring the ship’s position and
providing relevant and updated information to all ship in the area.
VTS system can be divided into to main groups :
1. VTS providing information services only
2. VTS providing traffic advice and instruction in order to maintain compliance with local regulations and
improve safety to ship in the area.
Information about ports offering VTS can be found in sailing directions and the VTS port Guide.