PASSAGE PLANNING IN PORTS - A NAUTICAL INSTITUTE GUIDE ...

The Nautical InstituteINTRODUCTIONIf you take a close look at a world map of shipping, you will find that the majority of major portsof the world are not on the coast of their respective countries. For the most part, they are, infact, some considerable distance inland - or, at least, sheltered from the open waters of theoceans by long estuarial rivers or by complex archipelagos of island and rocky inlets. Yet,through the centuries and despite the restrictions of access, they have all developed as centresof world trade.Our ‘navigator forefathers’ all managed to find their way from one of these ports to anotherwithout reliance on GPS, radar, VTS, electronic chart systems or any of the other aids tonavigation that we take for granted in the 21 st Century. Not all of them made it safely, of course,but world trade developed in large part thanks to their skills and knowledge.NAVIGATION AND RISK MANAGEMENTThe shipping industry, by its very nature, has always been and still is a highly risky business: it isnot 100% accident or incident free. To reduce navigational accidents, incidents and consequentclaims, there is a need for the adoption of formal, risk-based management techniques.Of course, the early navigators took many risks, both commercially and geographically, topromote the development of world trade - would you now consider taking a three-mastedbarque to the other side of the world to sell a cargo of fine cloth and fine wines, for example,with only the most rudimentary knowledge of navigation, weather systems, ocean currents,depths of water, customs and practices in foreign ports ?I would venture to suggest that theanswer is probably “No !”2 / 2109-11-2009Passage Planning in Ports_v2