The four stages of a passage plan and the rule behind them
1The lesson in plain words
Every passage is planned before you leave: appraise, plan, execute and monitor. The rule is in SOLAS, and the depth of the plan grows with the trip.
What a plan is
A passage plan is your route and timing, worked out before you leave, with the dangers, tides, weather and options along the way. It lets you make the hard decisions calmly in harbour, not tired at sea. Inquiries into groundings and rescues keep finding the same cause: no plan, or a plan nobody checked.
The four stages
The International Maritime Organization (IMO) Guidelines for voyage planning (Resolution A.893(21), 1999) divide the work into four stages, often called APEM. Appraise: gather all the information. Plan: draw the route and set the timings, berth to berth. Execute: carry it out, adjusting to the real conditions. Monitor: check progress against the plan all the way. The guidelines are written for ships, but each stage scales down to a day sail.
The rule
SOLAS (the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea) chapter V applies to all ships on all voyages unless a regulation says otherwise. Its regulation 34 says the person in charge must plan the voyage before going to sea, using suitable charts and publications. The UK applies this expressly to pleasure craft. Other states apply it in their own ways, but every skipper course, from PER to Day Skipper, expects a plan.
How much planning
The UK guidance says the depth of the plan depends on the size of the boat, the crew and the length of the trip. It lists the points to cover: weather, tides, the limitations of the vessel, the crew, navigational dangers, a contingency plan and information ashore. In the UK, "going to sea" means leaving categorised waters such as harbours and estuaries, but the advice is to plan every trip.
Short or long
For a short trip in known waters, the plan may be a few notes: tide times, the forecast, a bolt-hole (a nearby shelter) and the time you expect back. For a coastal passage, write down each leg (route section), waypoint (planned position), tidal gate (place passed at suitable tide times), arrival time, expected light and refuge. Either way, it exists before you leave the berth.
2Key data
- The four stages
- Appraise, Plan, Execute, Monitor (APEM)
- IMO guidelines
- Resolution A.893(21), Guidelines for voyage planning
- The rule
- SOLAS chapter V, regulation 34: plan before going to sea
- UK small-craft checklist
- Weather, tides, vessel, crew, dangers, contingency, ashore
3Key points
- 1
APEM: appraise, plan, execute, monitor, from IMO Resolution A.893(21).
- 2
SOLAS V/34 requires a voyage plan before going to sea; the UK applies it to pleasure craft.
- 3
The plan grows with the boat, the crew and the trip, but it always exists.
- 4
Cover weather, tides, boat, crew, dangers, a contingency plan and someone ashore.
4Frequent mistakes
Wrong: Passage planning is only for ships and long offshore trips.
Right: SOLAS chapter V applies to all ships, and the UK applies regulation 34 to pleasure craft. A short trip needs a short plan, not none.
Wrong: The plan is done once the route is drawn on the chart.
Right: Drawing the route is only the second stage. Executing and monitoring it at sea are part of the plan too.
Wrong: Planning means following the plan whatever happens.
Right: A good plan includes its own way out: bolt-holes, abort points and a contingency plan for when conditions change.
5Practice case & exam keys
A friend plans a 25 nautical miles (M) coastal hop tomorrow on your boat. He says it is "only a day sail" and he will "check the weather in the morning". Nothing else is planned.
Show the answer
Even a day sail needs a plan. Appraise tonight: forecast, tide times and streams, the charts and pilot notes, the crew and the boat. Plan the route with waypoints, the timing for any tidal gate, one or two bolt-holes and a contingency. Tell someone ashore when you expect to arrive. In the morning, check the latest forecast against your limits, then execute and monitor.
Exam keys
- APEM: appraise, plan, execute, monitor (IMO Resolution A.893(21)).
- SOLAS chapter V, regulation 34: plan the voyage before going to sea.
- UK guidance for pleasure craft: weather, tides, vessel, crew, dangers, contingency, information ashore.
- The depth of planning depends on the boat, the crew and the trip.
Finish this unit
When you've read it, match the terms, then answer three questions. Get them all right to finish the unit; opening the page alone doesn't count.
My notes for this unit
No notes