How then, do we prepare a trip plan before our charter?
The first thing to do is harvest as much relevant information as you
can. This will include estimates and assumptions of course, but some
things are factual. The vessel has a Samsung tablet with Predictwind, Navionics Boating App and Zulu Waterways to assist.
Here are list of things to consider when preparing a trip plan;
Proposed destination and estimated time of arrival.
Type of vessel and basic data including size and type, draft and length
overall (LOA).
Check fuel capacity, cruising speed, safety equipment, communications equipment (radio check), battery capacity and water capacity.
Check tides and currents and the weather forecast
(both area specific and further afield). Be aware a forecast is only that and sometimes the reality can differ from
the forecast so plan for this.
Check the charts (paper or electronic) and by reference to the information listed above,
start to plan your voyage by setting out specific waypoints and route. The waypoints should be chosen to keep you away from dangers and
also with careful consideration of the wind direction and speed as well
as tidal flows.
Once you have an approximate route you can plan how long the passage
is likely to take by referring to the likely sea state (from tidal and
weather predictions) and cruising speed.
You now have an approximate passage and likely time it will take to complete.
At this point, work back down the route referring to the chart and
the tides / weather forecast to make sure that you do not arrive at the wrong time. By adjusting your plan you will eventually decide the best time to
leave to allow you to make best advantage of the tide and make the
journey as pleasant as possible.
In an ideal world, you will leave on the tide and arrive at your planned destination in good
light, ideally a couple of hours before sunset. If you
manage this you’ll make your trip much easier and less stressful -
especially when entering an area that’s new to you.
If things go wrong along the way you should have made alternate
plans for ports of refuge. These ports should be noted in your plan and
ideally you will have a choice of ports that are accessible in the
prevailing conditions and hopefully at most states of tide.
Last, but certainly by no means least, you should take a good look
at your crew. As skipper,
you need to know that the crew are right for the passage and that you
are making it as easy as you can for vessel and crew alike.
Once you have a passage plan, make sure you keep a written record of it (in the logbook).
Make sure you brief your crew properly and set an appropriate watch
system. Log your trip plans with VMR, letting them know when you leave and when you
arrive safely.
Almost all Pumicestone Passage and Moreton Bay navigation is “line of sight” most of the islands are large and the use of land transits (the lining up of headlands, islands or prominent features) is a simple and effective navigation tool. You can usually see the next destination you are heading for with no difficulty. However rain squalls or smoke haze will limit visibility from time to time.
