Question 1

Your examiner asks: "Before planning a voyage from the Humber to Bremerhaven, list the publications and sources you would consult during the appraisal stage."

Accepted Answer

Admiralty charts (including ENC if ECDIS fitted), List of Lights, Sailing Directions (North Sea Pilot), Tidal Atlas, Tide Tables, List of Radio Signals (LORAN/NAVTEX/GMDSS coverage), Notices to Mariners (updates), ALRS (Admiralty List of Radio Signals Vol 6 for port entry), IALA buoyage system, weather routing guidance, port entry information (local port authority/pilot station requirements), draft/air draft restrictions and tidal windows, and any relevant IMO/MCA Marine Notices. IMO Res. A.893(21) Section 1: appraisal requires all available information to be gathered and assessed. "Adequate and up-to-date charts" is the SOLAS V Reg 34 minimum — but the duty of care standard requires the full suite of publications. Key ones for the North Sea: Admiralty NP54 (North Sea — Western Part) or equivalent ENCs; NP283 (Sailing Directions: North Sea Pilot Pt 1); NP201 (Tide Tables NW Europe); NP75 (ALRS Vol 6 Pilot Stations); NP247 (List of Radio Signals); current Notices to Mariners (NMs) for all charts on the passage. An OOW should also check for TSS requirements (Dover Strait CALDOVREP) and any port entry NOTAMs via the Bremerhaven Port Authority.

Question 2

Your examiner asks: "What does SOLAS Chapter V Regulation 34 require regarding passage planning, and what are the four stages of passage planning?" Give a complete OOW answer.

Accepted Answer

SOLAS V Reg 34 requires that before proceeding to sea, the master shall ensure that the intended voyage has been planned using adequate and up-to-date charts and nautical publications. The four stages are: APPRAISAL (gather all relevant information); PLANNING (lay the plan on charts from berth to berth); EXECUTION (monitor progress against the plan); MONITORING (cross-check position continuously throughout the voyage). SOLAS V Reg 34 (Voyage planning) requires passage planning for ALL voyages — there is no distance threshold. IMO Res. A.893(21) "Guidelines for Voyage Planning" expands on the four stages. APPRAISAL: collect charts, publications, NOTAMs, weather, port information, draft restrictions, tidal windows. PLANNING: no-go areas, waypoints, abort points, contingency anchorages, speed profiles. EXECUTION: confirm plan implemented at departure and each watch handover. MONITORING: continuous position fixing, comparison with plan, CPA checks on all traffic. "Berth to berth" is the key phrase — the plan must cover the vessel from the departure berth to the arrival berth, including port approaches.

Question 3

During passage appraisal, you identify a shoal with 6.5m charted depth on your route. Your vessel drafts 7.2m. Describe how you would handle this in the passage plan.

Accepted Answer

The shoal is a no-go area. You would draw a no-go zone on the chart with a safety margin added for squat, wave response, tidal variation, and chart accuracy. A clearing bearing or limiting danger line would be drawn to keep the vessel safely clear. The passage plan waypoints must route the vessel outside this zone. The abort point where you could no longer safely turn back or divert must also be marked. A charted depth of 6.5m with a draft of 7.2m means zero underkeel clearance — the area is a no-go zone regardless of tidal height. Tidal heights add water but introduce uncertainty (sounding datum, tidal prediction errors, storm surge/set-down). The safety margin for no-go areas must account for: squat (speed-induced sinkage); heel; tidal prediction error; chart datum uncertainty; wave response; and sea state. A clearing bearing is a compass bearing drawn on the chart: as long as the bearing to a landmark or buoy is greater/less than the charted value, the vessel is safe. Limiting danger lines run parallel to the track at the minimum safe passing distance from the hazard. Both are standard passage planning tools examined at OOW level.