Passage Plans

[bumblefish]

Would there be any value in having a library of off the shelf passage plans for a variety of routes? Obviously variables such as tide and weather are not included but distances, waypoints, ports of refuge, pilotage, chart requirements, tidal gates/windows could be included. I know that the pilots and almanacs books give a variety of items for consideration when planning but it could be possible to combine the information from a variety of sources into a unified plan library. Any thoughts?

<hr width=100% size=1>...If you can find the simple solution to a complex problem, you've got it wrong!.........

 

[snowleopard]

it would be a very big book...

if it included all the allowances for forecast weather, tidal gates etc on every route even over a small area.

on the other hand it would make an interesting idea for a piece of software, though i think most people would prefer to do their own planning, after all that's half the fun of the cruise.

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[Kristal]

I wonder if you could programme an Excel spreadsheet with the variables - for instance, a well-travelled route from, say, Portsmouth to Cherbourg. You could put in the direction and rate of tide, and the spreadsheet adjust your Course to Steer accordingly?

It might be fun, but probably a hell of a lot of hassle too!!

/<

<hr width=100% size=1><A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.krishansen.co.uk/cryspics>Crystal II in Pictures</A>

 

[RelaxedatSea]

There is a book on routes by Jimmy Cornell. Its a great book to thumb through and dream of foreign lands.

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[VicMallows]

My Passage Plans (up till now, of course) have always been largely in my head.
Since I sail single-handed whom does it benefit if the plan is written down. If I loose my memory, the passage will be in a sorry state anyway. If I fall overboard..................

But of course, I'll do as I'm told.

Vic

 

[sailorman]

Im with you Vic.
too many people in this country telling the few
what to do,
how to do it,
how much to pay (tax) to do it
what precautions must be taken
what ever happened to the "Free Spirit" of our forebears

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[LadyInBed]

You will already have the makings of a passage plan, just look back through your logbook to the last time you made the passage. If you’ve done it a few times, you will probably have a log for springs and one for neaps.

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[Miker]

Yes, cos I've done it in Lotus 123 for my cruising area of the Irish Sea, recently enhanced for secondary ports. I get some odd results occasionally picking up the wrong tidal diamond. I've now rewritten it in Basic. It's a bit of a hassle feeding in the new yearly tide times each year as they don't scan in very easily from the almanac, what with those phases of the moon being read as characters. But it keeps me out of mischief during the winter.
I suppose I'll now have to modify it to spot whether I am sailing through the proposed wind farm off Barrow!

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[Joe_Cole]

Vic,

I thought that it was OK to have a passage plan in your head. My understanding is that we are required to have one, not that it should be written down. That's what I'm working on anyhow.

Mind you I will usually have things like the weather forecast and tide times written down, but that's only because I can never remember things like that!

Joe

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[VicMallows]

Exactly.

I'm printing the great responses in case I should need them . Sorry, too busy making passage plans to work out how to do smilees.

Vic

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[Peppermint]

Re: Out of print

but Stanfords, back in the 70's, used to produce an A4 book that tabulated the data and then guided
you through common passages.

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[BrianJ]

Why wouldn't you keep them....I have all my offshore passage plans in a folder, in fact I make two copies, one for the navigator down bellow, the other for the helmsman ,who , if on watch say 0400/0800 , doesn't have to go below to check on the next light they see, its all on the plan, as are all the waypoints etc....
To much effort has gone into preparing the plans ,to just throw them out.
BrianJ

<hr width=100% size=1>BrianJ