4.1.

1 Passage planning
Before sailing the Master has to ensure that the intended voyage is planned from berth to berth using all ap-
propriate charts. All used charts and publications must be corrected to the latest available Notices to Mariners
as well as any other relevant sources. The Navigation Officer is responsible for the preparation of a safe and
detailed passage plan according Masters requirements prior departure. The Master has to approve the plan
after having checked that the planned tracks are safe.
The documentation must be acknowledged and countersigned by the Master as well as by all officers in
charge.
All vessels to perform their passage planning in three stages:
A. Berth to Pilot
B. Sea passage
C. Pilot to Berth
These three stages may overlap in several stages like preparation of charts for example.
The check list Passage plan appraisal has to be used.

4.1.2 Publications and aids to be used for Passage Planning
Following publications have to be used for passage planning preparations:
Companys Navigation Policy
Bridge Procedure Guide
Bridge Team Management
Chart Catalogue
Navigational Charts incl. Routeing Charts / Pilot Charts
Ships Routeing Guide
Sailing Directions
Guide to Port Entry
Admiralty Lists of Lights
Admiralty List of Radio Signals
Notices to Mariners, incl. Cumulative List, Temporarily & Preliminary Notices
Tide Tables/Tidal Stream Atlas
Electronic systems for navigational information (Navtex / Navarea Messages)
Ship Specific Details (Draft, Cargo, Manoeuvre restrictions)
Mariners Handbook
Admiralty Maritime Safety Information services
Admiralty Radio Aids to Navigation
Admiralty Global Maritime Distress and Safety System
Admiralty Ocean Passages of the world
Ships Routeing
Load-Line Chart (not fully necessary due to special Plimsol Mark of GT Ships)
Weather information / Meteorological Observations
Safety Information regarding Ship Security
Manoeuvring Booklet








4.2 Preparation of Charts
The collection of all necessary charts for the intended voyage shall include:
Small Scale charts for navigation
Large Scale charts for overview
Routeing Charts
Port Plans
Pilot Card (information that have to be handed over to the pilot)
All other available information received by this office
It is essential that all necessary charts in use are updated to the latest available Notice to Mariners at hand
including all relevant, temporarily, preliminary, navigational warnings and information.

4.3 Insertion of relevant navigational data
4.3.1 No-go areas
All areas where the ship is unable to navigate due to her draught, length, beam or other external influences
like tide ranges and currents for example have to be marked as NO - GO AREAS. These areas have to be
highlighted by cross-hatching, keeping in mind not to obliterate important information. This should be reserved
for those areas where the attention of the navigator needs to be drawn to a danger such as shallow water or a
wreck close to the course line. Extensive use of no-go areas has to be discouraged. No-go areas vary with
change of draft and tide and will therefore also vary with the time of passage. They must not therefore be
permanently marked.

4.3.2 Margins of Safety
Margins of Safety indicate how far the ship can deviate from track without any danger to run aground. The
Margins of Safety should be inserted into charts in a manner that they could be continuously monitored by the
Officer of the watch. Considerations should include dimension of ship, accuracy of all used navigational
equipment, current, manoeuvring characteristics, accuracy of depth survey and squat effect. This should be
used for narrow passages.

4.3.3 Waypoints/Track
As a result of the above mentioned No-go areas and the resulting of Margins of safety the intended track
can be planned and inserted on the charts. Either small scale charts and large scale charts have to be used.
In addition all national and international regulations e.g. ColReg. must be taken into account. All Track lines
will be fixed by 2 Waypoints which can be determined through:
Beginning / End of Sea passage
Course alterations
Speed alterations
Anchor stations
Pilot Stations

It is strongly recommended that all in use navigation equipment, e.g. GPS, DGPS, ECDIS, Radar, Seacharts
and Passage Plan is uniform regarding track lines and waypoints. All track lines should show the course laid
down in the chart.
All previous courses of the last voyage have to be erased.






4.3.4 Passage Plan / Documentation
A Passage Plan should be prepared including following items:
Waypoints incl. Lat., Lon., Number and Name
True Course
Distances of Leg and Over all distance
Charts used incl. their sequence
Reporting Points, incl. specific details (Channels, Reporting Format, surveilled area, etc.)
Tug Pick up Positions
Tidal windows
Navigation Officers Comments
To each Passage Plan an Appendix may be added to avoid confusion due to too much information. A File
Present Voyage including river and sea passage Plans has to be kept on the bridge.

4.3.5 Tidal windows
In tidal waters a safe under keel clearance can sometimes only be kept within a specific period of time. For
that reason it is good practice to insert permissible time windows for passing/entering areas into the chart.
Tidal Windows have to be remarked on the passage plan.

4.3.6 Current
In narrow and shallow waters with strong current it is strongly recommended that all obtainable information for
the precalculated passing/entering time is entered into the chart. With the information of a Tidal Stream Atlas
and the chart information, the expected currents including their force and direction can be calculated. If pract i-
cal narrow areas with extreme currents should be avoided to enhance safety in case of malfunction of bridge
and/or engine equipment. Pentland Firth for example, is excluded for navigation for tankers above 10.000mt.
4.3.7 Wheel over points/Radius of Turn
While navigating in confined waters the determination of Wheel over points for extreme course alterations is
very helpful for the OOW. These planned Wheel over points can be calculated with the help of the Manoeu-
vring Handbook. Each wheel over point should be provided with bearing lines to suitable marks parallel to the
track.

4.3.8 Aborts
Aborts should be understood as the point of no return. Means a situation that can only arise during port ap-
proach or on river passage. These points should be marked on navigation charts named Abort. After having
passed this point, the ship is not longer able to find a safe anchorage; safe navigation is not possible on her
own power. This situation can only arise due to extraordinary circumstances like for example: Occupied berth,
traffic congestion, failure of a bridge to open or anything similar to that. It is recommended to insert also
emergency berths and/or emergency anchorages in vicinity of these abort positions.

4.3.9 Navigational Warnings
All relevant Navtex and all Navarea messages received via Navtex receiver or Sat Com C should be entered
by the receiving officer into the appropriate chart and listed/stored in the Folder Bridge Navtex/Navarea
sorted by sea areas and/or Transmitting Stations. Actual printouts of the selected stations for the intended
voyage have to be available. Cancelled Messages should be removed from seacharts and the list of actual
messages in force kept up to date. Summaries of messages in force received from the transmitting stations
have to be checked and the Folder Bridge Navtex and Navarea updated.









4.3.10 Additional information
The following should be marked on the chart, where it enhances safe navigation:
Methods and frequency of position fixing
Reporting points including Working Frequencies/Channels
Emergency and other useful anchorages
Pilot boarding positions
Tug pick up positions
Traffic areas (for example operating areas of ferries)
Clearing Marks / Bearings
Transits, heading marks and leading lines, e.g. distances to buoys, leading lines to objects, etc.
Significant tides and current
Safe speed, necessary speed alterations, changes in machinery status
Minimum under keel clearance
Positions where the echo sounder has to be activated



Safe distance off
Prominent navigation and radar marks
Head Marks
Required Chart changes


Prominent navigation and radar marks
Head Marks
Required Chart changes

4.3.11 Chart overcrowding
The Navigation Officer must take into account that there is a certain effect of confusion to the watch keeping
officer, if the seachart is overcrowded with additional information. He is responsible to outsource such infor-
mation to a minimum necessary for good watch keeping. Accordingly, only courses of the present voyage are
to be displayed. All information of former voyages has to be removed.
4.4 Weather news
Before departure the latest weather reports, weather fax, Navtex and Satcom, have to be t aken in account.
The received reports have to be kept on board for the last two voyages.

4.5 Electronic Navigational Equipment
4.5.1 Chart/Maps/Tracks
All radar equipment on board is able to generate Maps, Charts and Tracks on their Screen. These Maps,
Charts and Tracks are only to be used in addition and not to exclusion of the Paper Chart, who represent the
primary system. It is essential that all systems e.g. GPS, ECDIS, RADAR and Paper Chart are fitted with iden-
tical Tracks and waypoint files to avoid embarrassment.

4.5.2 Parallel indexing
Parallel indexing ensures the ship resting in range within its allowable Cross Track error. It is the continuous
observed radar echo movement of a fixed navigation mark with respect of previous prepared track li nes. All
Officers should be aware of handling Parallel Indexing on the Radar.
Note: Fixed points such as lighthouses and headlands should always be used in preference to floating ob-
jects, which should be carefully checked for position before being used for parallel indexing.

Vessels equipped with Radar/ARPA Systems with underlayable electronic seacharts do not have the
customary possibility to use parallel indexing, due to the fact that the ECDIS Information fully com-
pensates the purpose of this navigation feature. Therefore P.I. is not applicable on such systems.

4.6 Masters approval / Standing Orders
On completion of the planning stage the passage plan must be approved by the master. It is the Masters re-
sponsibility to ensure that all arrangements are adequate for maintaining a safe navigational watch and it
should be clearly understood that the Master has always the overriding authority with respect to safety and
pollution prevention. Consequently he can give any instructions in order to maintain a safe passage in all re-
spects if it is appropriate from his point of view. Additional he posts out his standing orders regarding bridge
procedures. The master writes down specific instructions for special circumstances e.g. ni ght or arrival orders
in the Bridge Order Book.





4.7 Members of the Bridge Team/Briefing
All officers involved in the execution of the intended voyage, should be familiar with all aids to navigation and
shall make the most efficient use of it. "Familiarisation with bridge equipment has to be completed, signed
and stored together with the familiarisation documents. Officers herewith confirm that they are familiar with all
bridge equipment and that they have read and understood the standing orders and Companys Navigation
Policy.
Before sailing it is common use to brief all members of the bridge team and the involved engine personnel
about the following voyage. All nautical officers have to sign the passage plan after briefing. Further instruc-
tions like Standing Watch Order Bridge and the Bridge Order Book must always be kept in mind and re-
checked at each commencement of watch.
It must be well understood that the Master must be called in any doubt in interest of the safety. Also refer to
"Procedure - Calling the Master.
It will be also indispensable to brief a pilot thoroughly, as he must be understand as an external member of
the bridge team. He must be informed about the prevailing circumstances of the vessels condition, the ships
manoeuvring characteristics together with all other information he requires. The Pilot Card has to be handed
over. Also refer to "Procedure - Pilotage