Passage planning: what SIRE 2.0 inspectors ask and find
A passage plan is judged berth to berth: abort points, no-go areas, pilot information and whether the plan on the bridge is the one the team actually follows.
Do this before the inspector arrives: Walk the passage plan berth to berth, incl. abort points.
What the inspector wants to see
- Berth-to-berth plan with abort points and no-go areas
- Pilot card completed
- Plan checked and signed by the master
Questions inspectors ask about Passage planning
When are bridge team meetings held, and where are they recorded?
Know when the company requires them and where they are logged. Briefings and debriefings must be specific, not generic.
What does 'Fl(3) G 5s 12M' mean on a chart?
Group flashing 3, green, period 5 seconds, nominal range 12 nm.
What is a limiting danger line (LDL)?
The marking of the no-go area.
Which documents are checked for a pilotage passage?
Passage plan, pilot card, Master-pilot exchange checklist, and pre-arrival and pre-departure checklists (which confirm the bridge equipment checks).
How should the pilot be integrated into the bridge team?
Brief the pilot, record EPL status on the pilot card, keep the Master in command, give the pilot one ECDIS and one radar, and mark the mooring sequence.
How do you show that security chart Q6099 is corrected?
Show the latest correction (the inspector asked for a 2024 one) and its record in the chart correction log.
There are 16 Passage planning questions in NilObs, with spaced repetition so the ones you miss come back. Practise them free.
Real Passage planning observations, and how to avoid them
Company procedures gave no clear guidance on cross-track distance for different passage stages (as NP232 suggests), though the plan had XTD for each leg.
Avoid it: Be ready to explain how the XTD for each leg (pilotage, coastal, open sea) was chosen.
Where the route crossed the safety contour, this was not highlighted in the passage plan; officers said it was only discussed in briefings.
Avoid it: Mark any safety contour crossing in the plan and on ECDIS with the precautions to be taken.
The officer had not signed the bunker quantity verified column of the passage plan.
Avoid it: Complete and sign every check box in the passage plan, including bunker quantity verification.
The company SMS had no procedure for a post-voyage review of the passage plan to capture hazards and lessons for future plans.
Avoid it: Do a short post-voyage review of each passage plan and note lessons for the next one.
Several cancelled NAVAREA XI warnings were still marked as plotted in the navigational warnings file.
Avoid it: Remove cancelled warnings from charts and ECDIS and mark them as cancelled in the warnings file.
Who answers for Passage planning
Master, Second Officer, Marine Superintendent, Port Captain. NilObs picks the questions and the daily drill for your role.
Rehearse Passage planning before your next inspection.
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