Voyage Planning NTOU MERCHANT MARINE

Technical questions List as many sources as you can for making a voyage plan. List as many environment factors as you can that may affect your voyage plan. Who should participate in a pre-transit conference? NTOU MERCHANT MARINE

Technical questions What is a contingency plan? When is it used? What is a shared mental model? What is a one-person error? How does voyage planning help avoid it? What is voyage monitoring? NTOU MERCHANT MARINE

Concho’s voyage planning NTOU MERCHANT MARINE

Exxon Valdez NTOU MERCHANT MARINE

Exxon Valdez NTOU MERCHANT MARINE

Voyage Planning Checklist Environment Tides Currents Sunrise/sunset Statistics Ship’s information Length Beam Draft (including changes caused by squat) Vertical clearance (“air draft”) Allowance for speed changes Vertical and horizontal clearance in bridges, locks Deviation card updated NTOU MERCHANT MARINE

Voyage Planning Checklist Unusual Conditions Hazards (dredging, regattas, salvage operations) Lift/swing bridge operating hours Speed limitations along the route NTOU MERCHANT MARINE

Voyage Planning Checklist Assistance Vessel traffic service Radio frequencies Check-in locations Pilot Embarkation location Time Radio frequency Line-handlers Radio frequencies for tugs, berth, bridges, canals NTOU MERCHANT MARINE

Voyage Planning Checklist Aids to Navigation Significant aids noted/marked Sailing direction checked Notice to mariner and light lists checked Charts updated “No-go” areas marked on charts Available anchorages confirmed NTOU MERCHANT MARINE

Plan our Voyage Professional seaman cannot upgrade their seagoing documents and licenses without proving experience. Pilots cannot be licensed for their routes without having made a minimum number of transits over the route. NTOU MERCHANT MARINE

Contingency Planning A good voyage plan will allow for these “discovered discrepancies.” Contingency planning: if things are not as we thought they would be, then we must either change our plan or to stop the voyage. NTOU MERCHANT MARINE

Contingency Planning Schedule to meet, missions to accomplish. If things are truly going wrong, the prudent seaman will and must consider anchoring his ship or returning to a berth until things are put right. NTOU MERCHANT MARINE

Contingency Planning Plans, either primary plans or contingency plans, will not work if they are not followed and executed correctly. If the plan is being executed correctly by comparing the plan with what we actually experience. We call this voyage monitoring. NTOU MERCHANT MARINE

Shared Mental Model A shared mental model is a mutually agreed upon understanding of the voyage: Where and when turns will be made; What the environmental conditions will be; Where and when the speed will be adjusted; What unexpected conditions can be anticipated; What contingency plans exist to deal with them. NTOU MERCHANT MARINE

Shared Mental Model Having everyone share that mental model means everyone, not just the navigation personnel. Consultation between the chief engineer and the master. A pre-transit conference can help ensure the development of a good shared mental model. NTOU MERCHANT MARINE

Shared Mental Model One person error: Anyone can make a mistake; When everyone understands what is supposed to happen and one person makes a mistake, it is at least possible, if not probable, that someone will point out the error and thus prevent the potential crisis. NTOU MERCHANT MARINE

Discussion questions What are the differences (and similarities) between a pre-departure conference and a pre-arrival conference? If you discover some of your navigating equipment is not functioning or is functioning inaccurately, what do you do? What does your company expect? In your experience, are all watch-standers encouraged or discouraged from reporting discrepancies between the voyage plan and reality? Aboard your current vessel, how formal (or informal) are your pre-transit conference? How effective are they? What about other vessels on which you have sailed? NTOU MERCHANT MARINE