Passage Planning

[LadyInBed]

How much in the way of Passage Planning do you do?
I do not do that much!
It goes something like this:
Distance to Destination - so I have an idea of how long it will take.
Current directions - so I can get max assistance.
Tide times and heights - so I have enough water to leave / arrive.
Tide gates - if any.
Weather Forecast

Navigation and WP's are done on the fly popped into the chart plotter as and when required.

Taking Fuel, Water and Provisions as read, what else do you preplan?

 

[Dill et Bound]

Are the pubs going to be open??

 

[chubby]

I used to spend ages entering and checking waypoints as lat and long in the era between the onset of GPS and the near universal availability of chart plotters. For cross channel I work out when the tide turns east/west and max XTE often about 10-12 miles for Solent to Cherbourg.

 

[SteveSarabande]

I work out what time is a suitable low/high tide. I use that to work out what time to leave. Waypoints are done on passage as required.

 

[maby]

Well, most of our trips are ten or fifteen miles down the Medway and back, so passage planning tends to be limited to getting times of high and low tide and choosing the menu for lunch. When we go further afield, we do try to do it properly, selecting waypoints, calculating course to steer and selecting alternative destinations.

 

[sailorman]

X channel its a compass course with an off-set for the overall expected tide, never a waypoint.
i do use a waypoint but that is a compass rose on a chart for easy / quick plotting

 

[Pleiades]

Things not to hit

I like to look at the proposed route and scan either side of it to see what there is not to hit, like buoys, ODAS chappies and of course sticky up bits like this View attachment 38690
Even on a short hop it is handy to see if there are hazards on or near the proposed track - then brief the crew thoroughly on avoidance measures, even if only talking to oneself.
Robin
Pleiades of Birdham
MXWQ5

 

[snowleopard]

If I'm feeling lazy it's

a) Bring up the waypoint on the GPS (or enter it if new)

b) Press Auto

c) press Track

 

[Simondjuk]

It depends. Pottering along the south coast may not involve looking at a chart, a Solent to Cherbourg hop may involve nothing more than calculating a CTS, and a Solent to South Brittany might involve factoring in a couple of critical tidal gates, a detailed pilotage plan for sections, a few waypoints, a list of hazards and minimum safe depths if they'll help, some notes on potential ports of refuge, details of major lights and marks en-route, and a CTS and distance to run for each leg.

Whatever suits really, and even then it's as likely as not that big chunks of the plan change as the passage evolves.

 

[ribrage]

How much in the way of Passage Planning do you do?
I do not do that much!
It goes something like this:
Distance to Destination - so I have an idea of how long it will take.
Current directions - so I can get max assistance.
Tide times and heights - so I have enough water to leave / arrive.
Tide gates - if any.
Weather Forecast

Navigation and WP's are done on the fly popped into the chart plotter as and when required.

Taking Fuel, Water and Provisions as read, what else do you preplan?

I pad , laid in bed the day before with a mug of tea, with Admiral Lord Nelson (the dog) whining at me to get up and take him out for a pee, rough idea of where I probably, maybe ,might drift or want to go and then a weather forecast, beyond that its something to do at the chart table when we are sailing.

you back from Galicia now ?
Did you see the cidre festival in Gijon ?

 

[[70521]]

I add add bolt holes.

 

[Coaster]

As Camelia says, details of alternative destinations.

Basic contact details (VHF channels and phone numbers) for destination(s) where a berth will be needed.

Details of relevant lights, written large on A4 paper held inside a weighted clear plastic box, especially if arrival could be at night.

 

[KellysEye]

Tide, waypoints, weather. I remember doing the waypoints from the Solent to Burnham on Crouch all 34 of them, from the Canaries to St Lucia there were 3.

 

[Slow_boat]

Ports of refuge (plans B to F)

Tide times, heights and set for critical point plus for proposed destination and ports of refuge.

And never put 'To' a destination in the logbook. 'Towards' leaves the options open.

 

[Lodesman77]

Decision points & conditions. If there is a decision to be made about turning back or diverting, then if you write it down you'll probably stick to it.

e.g. 'At buoy X/waypoint Y if wind is over 20kts divert to B'

It can be so easy to keep going for too long because 'the conditions might ease...'

 

[jdc]

There was a similar discussion, although more on the style of discursive versus tabular data approach, some time back:
http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?336969-Passage-plans-what-is-best-practice&highlight=plan

I seem to remember that the OP (of this thread) was of the pre-filled out table persuasion, at least at that time, and didn't favour the discussion and 'what-ifs' type plan. But I suspect nothing has changed and we all still do whatever suits our habits and circumstances!

 

[LadyInBed]

There was a similar discussion, although more on the style of discursive versus tabular data approach, some time back:
http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?336969-Passage-plans-what-is-best-practice&highlight=plan

I seem to remember that the OP (of this thread) was of the pre-filled out table persuasion, at least at that time, and didn't favour the discussion and 'what-ifs' type plan. But I suspect nothing has changed and we all still do whatever suits our habits and circumstances!

I had forgotten that thread.
Just re-read what I said and it still holds true.
As for diverts, I have only ever had to divert once, I came out of Dartmouth into an E5-6 for Weymouth, knew I wouldn't get round the Bill (22 footer) so diverted to Lime Regis (before the harbour silted up). Interestingly, boats from Lyme that left at a similar time diverted to Torquay!

 

[LadyInBed]

you back from Galicia now ?
Did you see the cidre festival in Gijon ?

Yep! September - all the gory details on my site link below.
Didn't go round to Gijon, I heard that it was expensive!
I went East as far as Aviles - a great place, and cheap

 

[Babylon]

As for diverts, I have only ever had to divert once, I came out of Dartmouth into an E5-6 for Weymouth, knew I wouldn't get round the Bill (22 footer) so diverted to Lime Regis (before the harbour silted up).

You must have been young then. I'd have stayed snug in Dartmouth!

 

[onesea]

"The need for voyage and passage planning applies to all vessels."

"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'. According to international law, a vessel's captain is legally responsible for passage planning."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passage_planning

The detailed voyage or passage plan should include the following factors:
.1 the plotting of the intended route or track of the voyage or passage on appropriate
scale charts: the true direction of the planned route or track should be indicated, as
well as all areas of danger, existing ships' routeing and reporting systems, vessel
traffic services, and any areas where marine environmental protection considerations
apply;
.2 the main elements to ensure safety of life at sea, safety and efficiency of navigation,
and protection of the marine environment during the intended voyage or passage;
such elements should include, but not be limited to:
.1 safe speed, having regard to the proximity of navigational hazards along the
intended route or track, the manoeuvring characteristics of the vessel and its
draught in relation to the available water depth;A 2/Res.893 - -
I:\ASSEMBLY\21\Res\893.doc
4
.2 necessary speed alterations en route, e.g., where there may be limitations
because of night passage, tidal restrictions, or allowance for the increase of
draught due to squat and heel effect when turning;
.3 minimum clearance required under the keel in critical areas with restricted
water depth;
.4 positions where a change in machinery status is required;
.5 course alteration points, taking into account the vessel's turning circle at the
planned speed and any expected effect of tidal streams and currents;
.6 the method and frequency of position fixing, including primary and secondary
options, and the indication of areas where accuracy of position fixing is
critical and where maximum reliability must be obtained;
.7 use of ships' routeing and reporting systems and vessel traffic services;
.8 considerations relating to the protection of the marine environment; and
.9 contingency plans for alternative action to place the vessel in deep water or
proceed to a port of refuge or safe anchorage in the event of any emergency
necessitating abandonment of the plan, taking into account existing
shore-based emergency response arrangements and equipment and the nature
of the cargo and of the emergency itself.
3.3 The details of the voyage or passage plan should be clearly marked and recorded, as
appropriate, on charts and in a voyage plan notebook or computer disk.
3.4 Each voyage or passage plan as well as the details of the plan, should be approved by the
ships' master prior to the commencement of the voyage or passage.

http://www.imo.org/blast/blastDataHelper.asp?data_id=24282&filename=893(21).PDF


OF course I do this every time