VOYAGE (PASSAGE) PLANNING Marina Zanne, M.Sc.

Introduction Passage planning or voyage planning is a procedure of developing a complete description of a vessel's voyage from start to finish. Production of a passage plan prior to departure is a legal requirement. The practice of voyage planning has evolved from drawing lines on nautical charts to a process of risk management. ] ]

What to include? The plan should include: leaving the dock and harbor area, the en route portion of a voyage, approaching the destination, and mooring.

How to do it? Passage planning consists of four stages: appraisal, planning, execution, and monitoring

Appraisal The appraisal stage consists of gathering and contemplating all information relevant to the voyage. By consulting: nautical charts, nautical publications and performing tasks such as –weather forecasting, –prediction of tides and currents, and –checking of local regulations and warnings.

Planning The process involves projecting various future events including landfalls, narrow passages, and course changes expected during the voyage. The mental model becomes the standard by which later on the navigator measures progress toward the goal.

Planning The plan should include the following factors: the plotting of the intended route on appropriate scale charts the main elements to ensure safety of life at sea, safety and efficiency of navigation, and protection of the marine environment during the voyage –safe speed, –necessary speed alterations en route, –minimum clearance required under the keel in critical areas with restricted water depth, –course alteration points etc.

Execution A number of tasks has to be executed during the course of the voyage. The captain's responsibility is to treat the plan as a "living document" and to review or change it in case of any special circumstances that should arise.

Execution Factors which should be taken into account when executing the plan, or deciding on any changes of it include: the reliability and condition of the vessel's navigational equipment, estimated times of arrival at critical points for tide heights and flow, meteorological conditions, daytime versus night-time passing of danger points, and traffic conditions, especially at navigational focal points.

Monitoring Once the voyage has begun the progress of the vessel along its planned route must be monitored. This requires that the ship's position be determined.

Computer aids - NavTools Route XP allows you to plan a seatraject in order to arrive on schedule with minimal fuel consumptionhttp:// - Global fleet controlhttp://gfce.ingb-richter.de/ - PC-Planner includes voyage-planning software on CD and a USB chart reader allowing boaters to plan all the navigational aspects of a future voyage and download 5-day weather forecasts.

Testemonials Maersk: Using real-time weather data the potential savings of ECO-Voyage are 1% a year. –ECO-Voyage is the new tool continuously analyses information on expected ocean currents, depths, wind and waves along a planned route in order to determine the most efficient power and speed needed throughout a voyage. More info: aspx aspx

Economic aspect The economic objectives of time and distance saving are to be secondary to safe navigation, and are to be ignored whenever the master assesses it necessary.

Example Daily fixed costs (operating costs + depreciation)= $ Distance (Rotterdam-Koper) = miles Av. Speed = 15 knots Port days = 3,5 days Consumption at sea (IFO) = 47 t/day Consumption at sea (MDO) = 1,5 t/day Price (IFO) = 250 $/t, Price (MDO) = 463 $/t Consumptions at port (IFO) = 1,5 t/day Consumptions at port (MDO) = 1,5 t/day Duration of voyage? Costs of voyage?

Deviations Results that are different to the planned ones Occur on daily basis

Deviations It is importnat to determine their source: internal or external reasons. Possible reasons for deviations in maritime tr.: bad weather conditions, delays in ports, route deviations (eg. due to medical condition of crew memeber), fuel price changes, hull or engine condition, poor planning etc.

Example Av. speed = 13 knots. d(A,B)= miles d(B,C)= miles The ship stays in port A for 16 hpurs, in port B for 24 hours and in port C for 16 hours. The consumption at sea is 47 t/day. The price of fuel is 266 $/t. In port the ship consumes 1,5 t/day of the same fuel. Daily fixed costs of the ship are $. Port fees accumulate for $. Calculate the voyage (from A to C) costs!

Example Due to the bad weather conditions the sailing time from A to B took 20 hours more than expected (same consumption as at “regular” sailing conditions). Beacuse of the delay, the ship needed to wait 24 hours for a free wharf (berth) at the port B (at mooring the consumption is the same as in port). Calculate the voyage costs and determine the deviation!

Other planning It is not only the navigation that needs to be carefully planned. It is also necessary to plan cargo loading (type of cargo, volume, distribution aboard the etc.) and unloading, port staying, bunker and provisions, shipyard visit etc.

Break even point revenues > costs  profit revenues < costs  loss revenues = costs  break even point

Break even point calculation The container ship came to Seattle to pick up cargo for Durban. Ship’s capacity is 3.200TEU and with the tons deadweight. The distance is miles and demands the passage throug the Panama canal. At 16 knots and 4 days at port plus 1 day of canal passage this voyage lasts 34,3 days and costs $. The volume of available cargo is TEU and weiaghts tons. The total freight rate offered is $. Assumption: the freight rate is same for each TEU, the mass of each TEU is the same. How much cargo must be taken aboard to cover the costs? What’s the best possible financial result of the voyage?