PASSAGE PLANNING

This will give the students and understanding of the

importance of executing an accurate and detailed voyage plan
covering every aspect of the voyage.
Passage Plan
The purpose of the passage
plan is to support the bridge
team and make sure that the
ship is sailed safely between
port from berth to berth
Voyage plan should covers,
ocean, coastal and pilotage
waters

Good safety management

should be the starting point
for all commercial
operations.

It is possible not to have a

quality ship that is not safe
Safety
Defining safety is not easy, as
safety is a word, which
everybody understands but
which is very difficult to
understand.

it is a relative concept
deriving its meaning from
broad understanding of events
out of which it is possible to
say that activity “1” is safer
than activity “2” or nether of
the two is safe

Looking at safety this way, is a negative concept. It leads to the idea that accidents must be
avoided. In reality it is possible to have complete safety.
Safety
Shipping has long
tradition for
accepting accidents
and incidents

However for the past

few years this phase
has been slowly
changing for several
reasons;
interest for the
protection of
human life.
protection of
marine life
Protection of the
environment.
Safety
In order to understand the evolution of safety concept in shipping and in the
present situation, lessons from the past must be learned.

TITANIC
SOLAS (Safety of Life at Sea)
TORRAY CANYON
MARPOL (Maritime Pollution)
STCW (Standards of Training,
Certification and Watch keeping for
Seafarers)
EXXON VALDEZ
OPA 90 (Oil Pollution Act of 1990)
SCANDINAVIAN STAR
SMS (Safety Management System)
ESTONIA
New Technical and Stability Requirements on
Bow Doors

The history of accidents are our only source of reference, based on information about real
incidents they can provide valuable information so we can avoid during the same mistakes
as done on the past.
Safety
Risk is a concept closely associated with safety.

Dual nature of risk

means that a
dangerous situation,
which happens rarely,
can carry a risk similar
to a safer activity that
has to be carried out
frequently.

The best remedy for risk is fear!

Safety
Before any shipping company can reduce its business and
operational risk, it must have an effective system for monitoring
its exposure and way of dealing with contingencies.

Officers and crew, are

the key element to
execute a safe and
efficient voyage, however
96% it of marine
casualties is caused by
human intervention, and
almost 70% of fire and
explosions onboard ship.

It is very important to think first before you act!

Safety
The ships will drift under the influence of wind, current
and wave forces.

the master should

take every opportunity
to observe the drift
behavior of his ship in
loaded and light
conditions and various
aspects of the trim.

The main engine when steering capability of the ship is not available may be
helpful in changing the speed and drift of the ship or even stopping the ship
immediately all together !
Safety
Engine and rudder capabilities

With full or emergency astern

power, it is possible to bring
the stern into the weather.

For ship with jammed rudder

in full position, careful ahead
maneuver can keep the ship
heading into the weather.

The effect of the ship

propeller revolution on a free
flapping rudder will generally
go to hard starboard position
with either ahead or astern
revolution and stay there as
long as the engine revolutions
are maintained.
Safety
In water too deep for the anchor
to reach bottom, lowering the
anchor about 60 fathoms will
reduce downwind effect.

The anchor and cable may have

the effect of a drag or sea anchor
and should keep the ship’s
heading into the weather.

Once the anchor is in water depth

where the anchor can find
bottom, use of the anchor to stop
ship’s movement should be
attempted.

If the bottom is sand or mud,, or

may be possible to stop the ship
headway or even stop the ship
completely.
Safety
If the master decided
that a possible tug
assistance is required he
should immediately
starts to plan the
possible methods of
making the towing
connection.

As per SOLAS regulation

it is required for tankers
or 20,000 deadweight
tonnes and above to
have an emergency
towing system both
forward and aft of the
vessel
Safety
Various factor are to be taken into account whenever a ship has
run aground.

The master should first

obtain relevant information
about the situation including
the following;
Tides
Currents
Weather including wind, state
of sea and swell
Any change in weather
forecast
Nature of the bottom
Depth of the water, the
calculated buoyancy needed
to refloat the vessel, draft Salvage assistance may be rendered without
and trim after refloating agreement being reached in advance.
Condition of the ship Two types of salvage agreement;
including stress on the hull. Services rendered on the basis that
remuneration will be settled later
Remuneration on the basis of a lump sum or
daily rate
Passage Plan
According to STCW all intended
voyages should be plan ahead of
time. Taken into consideration
all pertinent information should
be laid out checked before the
voyage begins.

If the plan has been changed

for some reasons. All navigators
should be briefed thoroughly
about the changes

Voyage planning in Ocean waters should normally allows for larger safety margins than coastal
sailing
Chart Publications
British Admiralty Charts (BAC) BA
chart (BAC) is the paper product of the
UK Hydrographic Office (UKHO). It is
one of the most widely used nautical
charts in shipping. Its worldwide series
consist of over 3,300 paper charts
offering worldwide coverage. BA charts
consist mainly of Standard Navigational
Charts (SNC) from serial number BAC
0001 to 4999 and including 5500, 5501,
5502. These come in different scales
and are used mainly for navigation and
passage planning.
ENGLISH CHANNEL : BRITISH ADMIRALTY 2675
Standard Navigational Charts are
regularly updated and corrected by the
weekly Admiralty Notices to Mariners to
ensure they are updated with the latest
navigational information and thus
enhancing safe navigation.
Chart Publications
Australian Charts (AUS) Australian
chart is the paper product of the Royal
Australian Navy Hydrographic Service
(AHS) located in Wollongong,
Australia. It consists of over 400
paper charts covering mainly
Australian waters and its surrounding.
Australian charts are updated by the
Australian Notices to Mariners, which
are issued fortnightly.

AUSTRALIA NORTH COAST AND ADJACENT

WATERS :AUSTRALIA 4603
Chart Publications
Japanese Charts (JP) Japanese
charts are produced by the Japanese
Coast Guard (JCG) and distributed by
the Japan Hydrographic Association to
its chart agents.
Japanese charts cover Japanese
coastal waters, Pacific and Indian
Ocean regions. Selected Japanese
charts are also available in English.
Japanese charts are updated by the
weekly Japanese Notices to Mariners.

WESTERN PORTION OF NIPPON : JAPAN

1004A
Chart Publications
New Zealand Charts (NZ) Land
Information New Zealand (LINZ)
produces the New Zealand charts
covering mainly New Zealand waters
and its surrounding.

New Zealand charts are updated by

the New Zealand Notices to Mariners,
which are issued fortnightly.

TAZMAN SEA NEW ZEALAND TO SOUTH

EAST AUSTRALIA :

NEW ZEALAND 14601

Chart Publications
The National Mapping and Resource
Information Authority
(NAMRIA) surveys and maps the
nation's land and water environment,
primarily in support of the various
programs of its mother unit,
the Department of Environment and
Natural Resources and the national
government. Among its major mandates
is to provide both the public and private
sectors with map-making services as
well as geographic and resource
information
NAMRIA has always been at the MANILA BAY AND
forefront of utilizing advance APPROACHES : PHILIPPINES 4255
technologies to provide accurate and up-
to-date geographic and resource
information through its surveying,
mapping, charting, land classification,
remote sensing and information
management and dissemination
services.
Responsibility for Passage Planning

Deep sea Navigation – Master

delegates initial responsibility to
the responsible officer.

Small ships and coastwise trade –

Master may plan the voyage
himself

Pilots do advise the Master of any

local circumstances so that plan
can be updated
Passage Plan
Every management or ship owner should have a safety management policy and it
should provide practical guidance concerning safety to navigation which includes:

• A clear statement of safety

• Allocations of bridge
watchkeeping duties
• Use clear procedures
• Use updated charts and publications
• Ensure that all equipments are working
properly
• Advice concerning emergency
responses
• Follow reporting procedures
• Log all events
• Use standard procedures for crew
changes
• Make company contacts regularly
Factors to be taken into account
A voyage plan should aim to establish the most favorable route while maintaining
appropriate margins of safety and safe passing distance offshore. When deciding upon the
route, consider the following:

Marine environment
Adequacy and reliability of charted
hydrographic data along the route
Availability and reliability of
navigational aids
Routing constraints imposed by
the ship
Traffic
Weather
Ship operation
Regulations
Propulsion and steering systems
onboard
Factors to be taken into account
A voyage plan should be checked and prepared thoroughly checked prior to departure

The master should check the

appropriate voyage plan prior to
the intended voyage using
appropriate and available
corrected charts and publications

Tracks laid down must be safe

There must be sufficient fuel,

water and lubricants for the
intended voyage

It is the duty of the master to conduct professional judgment in the event of some changes
prior to intended voyage this remain a basic requirement to safe navigation
Factors to be taken into account
Passage plan can be done on paper charts

If an ECDIS is used for

route planning,
validations against certain
limits should be executed
by the system.

Whatever method of
validation is used, always
remember that the
responsibility for safe
route planning remain
with the navigator

Use of ECDIS is subject to the approval of the Flag State

Factors to be taken into account
Care must be taken when transferring route plan to electronic navigation
aides such as GPS.

Since the ships position is

likely to be WGS 84.

Route plan sends to the

GPS for monitoring cross
track errors should be of
the same datum.
Factors to be taken into account
Care must be taken when transferring route plan to electronic navigation
aides such as GPS.
The officer on watch
should bear in mind that
if the chart datum differs
from the datum used by
the position fixing system,
a datum correction is
plotted in the chart
In case a charts based on
very old survey data are
used, use of visual or
radar navigation should
be used to maintain safe
distance from land.
Using “raw” GPS
positions, together with
old survey maps can be
very dangerous in
restricted areas.
Factors to be taken into account
observe also that route and maps displayed on the radar are positioned on the
reference of the position of the ship.

Care must be taken to

ensure that the maps
and position
transferred on the
radar has the same
datum

Error on own ships position is transferred in maps and route information and consequently
displayed may be wrong
4 main Stages in Passage Planning
It is highly recommended that the whole route is validated and checked against
required safety limits

Collection of all information

and validation of all relevant
information

Presentation of raw data into

information and the strategy
to be used

Execution of tracking voyage

and communication control

Monitoring that the intended

plan is being followed

It is unlikely that every detail of the plan has been anticipated

This does not detract the value of the plan which is to mark the areas where the ship
should not go
Pre-departure Checklist

Before planning commence, the charts,

publications and other information appropriate
and needed for the voyage should be gathered
and studied thoroughly.

The master should see to it that relevant

information on the ICS checklist should be
checked. All systems and navigational
instruments are properly working prior to
departure.
Checklist
Route Plan
It is highly recommended that the whole route is validated and checked against
required safety limits
Only up-to-date and official
nautical charts are to be used
during the intended voyage and
should fully corrected. Any
missing chart or publications
needed for the voyage should be
identified and gathered before the
voyage.

For ocean passage, may involved

minimum planning is required in
term of courses distances and
turning points for ocean passage
and open water leagues smaller
scale charts are required.

For navigation in coastal and

pilotage and plotting each course
alteration points should be
marked on larger scale charts.
Navigation on coastal waters
requires maximum preparations.
Route Plan
The route plan should take into account the need to monitor the ship’s
position along the route and allow collision avoidance according to
COLREG. The main details of the plan should be recorded using
sketches, so that the plan can be readily referred to the main conning
position.
Main Elements of the Route Plan:
Planned Tracks showing the true
course of each waypoints
Distance of every waypoints
Any change of speed along the
route
Heading on every alter course
Turning radius or turn rates
Maximum Off-Track margins for
each waypoints
Factors to be taken into account
Margins of Safety in restricted
waters can be critical as time
to take corrective action may
be limited.

Ships ability to maneuver and

propulsion system may
influence the route selected.
VTMS reporting should be also
taken into account.

Coastal weather bulletins and

navigational warnings may
require changes to the original
route plan.
Ship Routing
Ship routing measures have been introduced in a number of coastal
waters to
Reduce the risk of collision
between ships in areas of high
traffic densities.

Keep shipping away from

environmentally sensitive sea
areas.

Reduce the risk of grounding

in shallow waters.

Nautical publications should always be consulted for up to date information about traffic
separation schemes. This can be can be recommended or made mandatory by IMO.
Mandatory scheme should always be followed as long as safety is hampered.
Ship Routing
The purpose of ship routing is to improve the safety of navigation in congested areas and
in areas where the density of traffic is great, or where freedom of movement or shipping
is limited by small sea room, the existence of obstruction to navigation is present. Limited
depth or unfavorable meteorological conditions.
The following elements used in IMO
routing system

Separation of opposing traffic

Traffic lane
Separation Zone
Roundabouts
Inshore Traffic zones
Recommended route
Deep water route
Recommended tracks the archipelagic
areas
Two-way route with one way section
through a precautionary area
Area to be avoided
Vessel Traffic Services
Its purpose is to make shipping safe in some particular sea areas by monitoring the
ships position and provide relevant information to all ships in the area

It is divided into two groups

Providing information
services only
Providing traffic advice
in order to maintain
compliance with local
regulations and improve
safety of ships in the
area.

A number of coastal state has

establish ships reporting
system in order to keep track
on all ships in their areas.

Today a worldwide ships reporting system is expected to be made compulsory for all ships
Ship Reporting
Ship reporting system are used to gather/exchange information about
ships
Position
Course
Speed
Last port
Next port
Flag
Crew
Type of cargo
VTS has been introduced to monitor
Specific radio frequency to be ship compliance with local regulation
monitored must be specified and optimize traffic management
Reporting requirements must
be marked on charts VTS may only be mandatory within
the territorial seas of a coastal state
OOW Duties and Responsibilities
The Officer-on-Watch is the master’s representative and in-
charge of the bridge until properly relieved
His primary duties are:
Watch keeping
Navigation
Radio Communications

The Officer-on-Watch is at all times responsible for the safety on

navigation in compliance with Rules of the Road. And must not
leave the bridge until properly relieved by a competent person
OOW Duties and Responsibilities
the officer on watch should not hand over the watch if there is any
reason to believe that the relieving officer is unfit to, or is temporarily
unable to carry his duties effectively.

Before taken over the

watch, the relieving officer
must be satisfied as to the
ships position and confirm
its intended track, course
and speed, and engine
control as appropriate, as
well as noting any dangers
to navigation expected to
be encountered during his
watch.

If the officer on watch has to leave the voyage plan the master
should be informed about the action taken
OOW Duties and Responsibilities
Good navigation practice demands that the Officer on Watch
Understands that capabilities and
limitations of the navigational
aids and system being used and
continually monitor their
performance
Use the echo sounder to monitor
changes in depth of the water
Use dead reckoning technique to
check position of the ship
Cross check position fixes using
independent source of
information whenever possible
Use visual navigational aids to
support electronic position fixing
methods
Does not become over reliant on
automated navigational
equipment
Check instrument calculated
position visually whenever
possible
When in doubt – Call the master
OOW Duties and Responsibilities
The navigational duties of the Officer-on-Watch has based on the need
to execute the passage plan safely and monitor the progress of the
ship against that plan on the masters orders.

It is the navigator's duty

to check all navigation
information whenever
possible in order to
detect instrument errors
and minimize the effect
of the “HUMAN
ELEMENT”

The Officer-on-Watch is at all times responsible for the safety on

navigation in compliance with Rules of the Road. And must not
leave the bridge until properly relieved by a competent person
OOW Duties and Responsibilities
The officer on watch will normally have to deal with additional duties
aside from normal duties from watch keeping. Navigation and
communications.

Cargo monitoring
General communications
Engine monitoring
supervision of ship's
safety systems

Additional duties should under other circumstances should not

interfere with the exercise of primary duties
OOW Duties and Responsibilities
In compliance with COLREG a proper look out should be
posted regularly in order to have continuous vigilance by
sight and hearing or by all available means at all times.

According to STCW the

officer on watch may be
the sole responsible to
maintain look out during
daytime, weather,
visibility, traffic density
and other possibility
which is to be taken into
account.
OOW Duties and Responsibilities
He must exhibit a high level of general awareness about the ships and
its day to day operation.

Compliance of the
COLREG should always
be executed and correct
daytime and signal
should be properly
observed.
Great care should always
be observe passing other
ships at all time especially
at close proximity.

Whenever possible, early actions is strongly recommended and

considered good seamanship.
OOW Duties and Responsibilities
He must exhibit a high level of general awareness about the ships and
its day to day operation.

Compliance of the COLREGS

ships should at all times
proceed at safe speed.

Near ice, ships are specifically

required to proceed at
moderate speeds

Safe speed does not mean

that all ships operating in the
same area, for example
during restricted visibility
should steam in the same
speed.
OOW Duties and Responsibilities
Today most ship are steered by auto pilot most of the time.

Changing the manual steering

should be done in good time,
and after prolonged use of
the autopilot tested to
confirm that everything is ok

The OOW must be familiar

with the operation of the
steering system so that no
delay takes place in case a
hasty change over needs to
be done.
OOW Duties and Responsibilities
Periodic check of all computerized navigational equipments is s must.
Operational Navigational
equipments are to be
checked prior to going
out to sea or before port
entry.
It is also a practice of
good seamanship to
check the condition of the
full Engine and the
steering gears
maneuverability is fully
available.

All systems do have programming errors and all systems will fail
sooner or later.
OOW Duties and Responsibilities
The following basic principles apply to all communication
carried out by radio
Absolute priority should
be given to distress,
urgency and safety
communications.
Interference with the
radio user should be
avoided
Frequencies should be
used for their correct
purposes.

The OOW should have a general radio certificate. For ship

operating in area A1 a restricted operator’s certificate is sufficient.
OOW Duties and Responsibilities
The following basic principles apply to all communication
carried out by radio
The officer on watch
should be aware that
ships have obligations to
have search and rescue
obligations under SOLAS

Ships that are in position

to provide assistance, on
receiving a signal from
any source that person
are in distress at sea. Are
bound to proceed with all
speed to their assistance.
OOW Duties and Responsibilities
The officer on watch should always be prepared for an emergency
situation to occur.
The officer on watch must
familiarize himself with all
emergency procedures.
At regular intervals these
procedures should be
refreshed and train upon
The OOW should always
remember that the emergency
does not become dangerous
until it gets out of control.
The most important thing to do
is to stay calm, and follow
relevant emergency
procedures.

The officer on watch should be aware of the serious effects of

operational and accidental pollution of the marine environment.
OOW Duties and Responsibilities
All ships should make a report to the relevant authorities when the
incident involving another ship is observed or an incident on the other
ship involves:
A discharge or a provable
discharge of oil or noxious
liquid substances above
permitted level has taken
place.
A discharge or probable
discharge of harmful
substances in package form
has occurred
A discharge during the
operation of the ship of oil or
noxious liquid substances in
excess of what is allowed has
occurred.

The officer on watch should be aware of the serious effects of

operational and accidental pollution of the marine environment.
OOW Duties and Responsibilities
The officer on watch that is like to be engaged in the transfer of personnel by
helicopter should be familiar with the ICS “Guide to Helicopter / Ship’s Operation”.
OOW Duties and Responsibilities
Periodic check of all computerized navigational equipments is s must.
Operational Navigational
equipments are to be
checked prior to going
out to sea or before port
entry.
It is also a practice of
good seamanship to
check the condition of the
full Engine and the
steering gears
maneuverability is fully
available.
OOW Duties and Responsibilities
Periodic check of all computerized navigational equipments is s must.
OOW Duties and Responsibilities
The OOW should undertake daily task and checks on the bridge
equipment .

Check on electronic equipment

should be confirmed that the
piece of equipment is functioning
properly and is successfully
communicating on any bridge
system to which it is connected
Electronic equipment system
should be checked to ensure that
the configuration settings
important for correct interfering
between pieces of equipment
have not changed.
To ensure adequate
performance, information from
electronic equipment should
always be compared and verified
against information from different
independent sources.
OOW Duties and Responsibilities
As a general rule,
navigation should be
carried out on the most
suitable large-scale chart
available, and ship’s
position should be checked
at frequent intervals.
Visual and radar position
fixing should be used
whenever possible.
In coastal waters routing
schemes, ship’s reporting
system and VTS may
require reports and
communications.
Knowledge of the ship’s
draft, stability conditions
and maneuvering
characteristics are all
important parameters to be
taken into account.
OOW Duties and Responsibilities
The safe passage of the
bridge along the planned
tracks should be closely
monitored at all times

When the master leaves

the bridge, the OOW
should always seek
clarification from the pilot
when in doubt as to the
pilot’s actions and
intentions.

It is recommended that
communications between
pilot and the bridge team
is conducted in plain
English and easily
understood.
Communications
According to statistics as much as 70%-80% of incidents and accidents
at sea are caused by some kind of communication problems
Communication problems
between personnel on the bridge
because of different culture,
age, experience, etc.
Communication problem
between bridge and engine
room
Communication problem
between tugs and ship
Communication between ships
and VTS
Communication problems
between ship and ship owner or
operator
Communication problems
between ship and authorities.
Communications
Nowadays when only few
ships are sailing with radio
officer, the bridge has
become not only the main
communication center for
internal ship
communications, but also
the center for external
communication services.

This means additional

workload for the officer on
watch and good
communication skill has
become even more
important for the navigating
officer.
Communications
The VHF watch keeping range is 20-30 n.mi. depending on
antenna height.
All ships must keep continuous
watch on the following
channels
DSC Ch 70 (156.525 MHz)
VHF Ch 16 (156.8 MHZ)
VHF Ch 13 (156.650 MHz)
Communications
Medium frequency broadcast will typically an Radiotelephony
range of between 150 and 250 nmi by day and a little more
by night. DSC range can be expected to be 600 to 700 nmi.
Ships must keep continuous
watch on the NAVTEX
frequency 518 kHz when
sailing in an area where the
service is provided.

Another frequency that must

be monitored is the DSC
frequency of 2187,5 kHz
Communications
High frequency broadcast has an un limited range.
Ships fitted with HF radio must keep watch on
DSC distress frequency
8414,5 kHz

At least one frequency as

appropriate to the time of
day and position of the
ship
4207,5 kHz
6312.0 kHz
12577.0 kHz
16804,5 kHz
Communications
Ships equipped with a Ship
Earth Station (SES) must
keep a continuous watch
on the satellite appropriate
to the ships position.

The range of satellite

broadcast is unlimited,
except on the Polar
Regions
Communications
Radio equipment should be
tested at the intervals
stated by the manufacturer
and accordance with the
flag state requirements.

Great care should be taken

to avoid transmission of
false alerts when testing
equipment.
Communications
Elements of establishing good bridge communications
Mutual respect ad
confidence between
bridge team members

Professional job attitude

share of workload.

Good theoretical
knowledge

Relevant practice.

Self-confidence.
Weather Routing
The advantage, which may be gained from a weather routing system
are:

Quicker sailing between

two points
Reduced risk of damage
to hull and cargo
More accurate
prediction of arrival
times

The monetary gain from the last two advantages will vary from one type to
another.
The saving can be considerable, but there will always be a link between damage
due to heavy sea and quicker sailing in the sense that by reducing speed in
heavy weather one also reduce the risks of damage.
Weather Routing
The shortest distance
between two points is
along the great circle
passing through these
points

Current , wind and

particularly the waves
will influence the speed
considerably

The monetary gain from the last two advantages will vary from one type to
another.
The saving can be considerable, but there will always be a link between damage
due to heavy sea and quicker sailing in the sense that by reducing speed in
heavy weather one also reduce the risks of damage.
Weather Routing
The statistical mean
value for currents and
sea condition often show
variations that make it
advantageous to depart
from the great circle
track
Statistically based
recommended routes
which also take into
consideration possible
icebergs, fogs, etc. along
the route, should be This includes:
used as a reference Favorable ocean currents
when considering the Ice or poor visibility
advantage of weather Seasonal tropical storm
routing. activity
Weather Routing
With increase in size and
speed is more difficult to
estimate the force acting
on the ship during bad
weather.

An increasing number of
ships are today sailing
with a weather monitoring
system which is goof help
in estimating the force
acting on the ship and
thus allowing the master
to sail with optimal speed
i.e. highest possible speed
without causing damage
to ship.
Pilot
Pre-Arrival Planning

Pre-Arrival information
exchange with the pilot

Pilot on board

Preparing the outward bound

pilotage plan
Pilot Checklist
Pilot Checklist
Pilot
In order to prepare for the pilot, an
information exchange between the
ship and the pilot should take place
prior to boarding.

Once the pilot is onboard the

passage plan may need to be
discussed in more details.

Ship maneuvering and particulars

information should be available at
the bridge.
Pilot
The pilot is expected to have
special knowledge about
navigation in local waters.
Depending on local pilotage laws
the master may delegate the
conduct of ship to the pilot who
directs the navigation of the ship
in close cooperation with the
OOW or the Master.
The presence of the pilot does
not relieve the master or the
OOW of their duties and
obligations for the safety of the
ship.
Both should be prepared to
exercise the right not to proceed
to a point where the ship is put in
a dangerous situation
Pilot Ladder Required Boarding Arrangement
Pilot ladder must be in
accordance with I.M.O.
requirements and International
Maritime Pilots’ Association
Pilot Ladder Required Boarding Arrangement
Height of the end of the
pilot ladder above the
water must be according
to the specifications of the
pilot / as per pilot’s
request
Pilot Ladder Required Boarding Arrangement
The Officer in charge should be on standby by the bulwark
equipped with a portable radio and has continuous contact with
the bridge
Pilot Ladder Required Boarding Arrangement
The following must not be
present on the structure of a
pilot ladder
Pilot Ladder Required Boarding Arrangement
Adequate illumination
must be provided
during night time
Pilot Ladder Required Boarding Arrangement
For vessels with more
than 9 meters free
board and with no
side doors available,
a pilot ladder must be
combined with an
accommodation
ladder
Pilot Ladder Required Boarding Arrangement
For mechanical pilot hoist, it
must be rigged together
with a pilot ladder for
immediate transfer, as per
agreement between pilot
and master