Australian guidelines for safe voyage planning and navigation within designated corridors using ECDIS

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority has issued a notice providing comprehensive guidelines for ensuring that vessels navigate safely and efficiently within predefined navigation corridors, particularly using the Electronic Chart Display and Information System (ECDIS). It includes guidance on voyage planning, monitoring, deviation from planned routes, and compliance requirements for various maritime authorities.

Purpose of the Notice

The notice aims to ensure that vessels use designated navigation corridors correctly when planning routes on ECDIS and that the voyage plan, once approved by the ship’s Master, is followed as closely as possible.

Key Areas of Guidance

This guidance is directed at several stakeholders involved in maritime navigation, including:

• Ship operators – responsible for oversight of voyage planning and execution.
• Masters – approve and monitor the voyage plan.
• Officers of the Watch (OOW) – execute and monitor the plan on the bridge.
• Recognized organizations and flag states – ensure compliance with regulations.

Voyage Planning with Cross-Track Distance (XTD)

1. Appraisal and Detailed Planning:
   Voyage planning begins with gathering relevant information (appraisal) about the intended route. A detailed passage plan is then plotted on ECDIS, from start to end (berth to berth). Areas requiring a pilot are also considered.
2. Setting Up Navigation Corridors:
   The planned navigational corridor is defined by the XTD for each leg of the voyage, creating a safe corridor within which the vessel should remain. This corridor is electronically checked for hazards using the ECDIS route-check function, allowing the bridge team to identify and mitigate potential risks.
3. Master’s Final Approval:
   Once the corridor and voyage plan are complete, it is reviewed and approved by the Master. This includes any necessary adjustments based on specific hazards.

Executing the Voyage Plan and Navigating Within Corridors

• Safety Contour Setting:
  ECDIS is set with a safety contour that marks “No-Go” areas, where the vessel should not navigate due to depth limitations. If a safety contour depth is set (e.g., 11 meters), the closest charted depth contour (at or deeper than this value, say 15 meters) will be displayed. Shallow depths are marked in black on the chart, while deeper soundings are marked in grey.
• Benefits of Following the Navigation Corridor:
  Staying within the corridor minimizes workload by allowing the bridge team to navigate in pre-verified waters, reducing the likelihood of encountering unanticipated hazards.

Departing from the Planned Navigation Corridor

In situations where a vessel needs to exit the navigation corridor:

1. Use of Safety Margins:
   The safety margin lies between the planned corridor and “No-Go” zones and is intended for unexpected circumstances only. This area is not pre-checked, so extra caution is required.
2. Monitoring and Situational Awareness:
   If an immediate deviation into the safety margin is needed, the bridge team should visually assess the ECDIS, and any deviation should be agreed upon by the team and executed promptly.
3. Master Consultation for Non-Urgent Deviations:
   For non-urgent changes, the Master should be consulted, and the voyage plan updated to reflect any new conditions before leaving the planned corridor.
4. Documenting Deviations:
   All deviations should be recorded, including the reason for leaving the corridor, to aid in verifying sound navigation practices.
5. Limit on Safety Margin Use:
   Frequent, unjustified use of the safety margin suggests poor voyage planning and may lead to a reassessment of navigation practices.

Port State Control (PSC) Inspections and Compliance

• Compliance with Australian Legislation:
  Australia’s Marine Order 27 requires that voyage planning follows SOLAS standards. During PSC inspections, deficiencies may be noted if safety margins are used excessively or if varying XTDs for confined or open waters are not accounted for in planning.

IMO References

The notice also refers to key IMO guidelines and standards:

• IMO Resolution A.893(21) – Guidelines for Voyage Planning.
• MSC.232(82) – Revised Performance Standards for ECDIS.
• MSC.530(106) – Updated Performance Standards for ECDIS.
• MSC.1/Circ.1503/Rev.2 – ECDIS Guidance for Good Practice.

Voyage Planning and Execution within Planned Navigation Corridors

Sign up for our newsletter

Sign up

Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup.

It's free. No spam. Cancel anytime.