Need for Passage Planning. Just as you would not make a long journey by car without proper planning beforehand, so is it with sea voyages. In fact it is even more essential. Remember there are no roads at sea and the surface of the sea is not smooth and static. There are also more dangers to be faced at sea, ie weather, currents, rocky coastlines, islands, other ships, etc. The framework for passage planning is referred to by the acronym “PECAN”. In the following paragraphs we will be discussing them.

Preparation. Preparation before a voyage is essential. The more one prepares, the easier, safer and more economical is the voyage. One needs to know where one is going and how far it is. From this one can determine:

• which charts and publications are required.
• how much fuel, water and food to take.
• where one can replenish these commodities.
• how long the voyage is likely to take.

One needs to know:

• all the possible dangers one may face en-route,ie piracy, weather, geographical features, ice bergs etc.
• what weather and currents one is likely to encounter.
• how far from the coast one can safely travel.
• what facilities the various ports along the way possess or offer, etc.
• local regulations covering the conduct of shipping in territorial waters and harbours of a particular country.

One has to anticipate all the possible problems one might encounter and to make provision to overcome them.
All this preparation is necessary to produce the voyage plan. This will consist of:

• the laying off of the route on all the charts required.
• the determination of distance to be covered.
• ports to be called at (if replenishment is required).
• the amount of fuel to be taken.
• the time it will take.
• estimated time of departures (ETD’s)and the estimated time of arrivals (ETA’s)at the
  various ports of departure and calling.

The navigator must make notes on what can be expected during the voyage, ie weather, currents, dangers times and course alteration positions (way points), etc. He must ensure that he has all the necessary charts, publications, notices to mariners, stationery, navigation instruments, pencils, erasers for the voyage. Remember he does not have a handy Central News Agency (stationer) or chart depot around the corner. He should also ensure that all his navigation equipment is working and that there are sufficient spares to effect repairs in the event they fail.

Execution. Once the preparation and planning has been done, it is essential that the captain is presented with the plan and his approval obtained. Thereafter, the rest of the officers must be briefed so that they can make preparations for the voyage, ie fuel and water to be ordered and taken on, food to be ordered and taken aboard, etc. The watchkeeping officers must also be briefed so that they know what is expected of them.

Control. Once the voyage commences, it is essential that progress is carefully monitored. This is necessary to ensure the safety of the ship (accurate watchkeeping) and to ensure that the ship keeps to her schedule in the most economical way.

Anticipation. As was stated under preparation, it is essential for the navigator to anticipate possible problems and difficulties and have a plan to deal with them. This way he cannot be surprised.

Notation. During the voyage, there are certain items of information that must be recorded. The main record is kept in the ship’s logbook. The logbook is the responsibility of the navigator. It is he who provides the logbook and ensures that it is filled in correctly. It is a very important document and provides the authorities with important information when things go wrong. It is kept on the bridge and is filled in by the officer on watch. Besides this, the navigator will also make notes of his own concerning aspects of the voyage which may have a bearing on future voyages and some which may need to be fed back into the national and/or international maritime organisation for the safety of other users of the sea.