Passage planning, Chartwork & Position fixing


This will help people studying for their Master 200 and the Officer of the Watch (Yacht 500).

You will also learn how to position fix using charted objects, calculate the compass course to steer and how to counteract tidal stream and leeway.

You will learn how to complete estimated positions, true set and drift, course to steer, running fixes, horizontal sextant angles questions and use luminous range diagrams.

You will also learn about the cause of tides and learn to calculate times and heights of tides at European and Pacific ports.

This online training is aligned with the UK MCA Master (Code vessels less than 200 GT) / Officer of the Watch (Yachts less than 500 GT) Oral Examination Syllabus.

You can see the content included within the Syllabus below.

  1. Publications required under SOLAS
  2. Passage Planning Principles
  3. The IMO Ship’s Roueting Guide
  4. Admiralty Chart 5500
    1. Subscriber Content
  5. Passage planning and position fixing Self Assessment
  6. Appraisal
  7. Planning
  8. Execution
  9. Monitoring
  10. Updating charts
  11. The meaning and significance of chart symbols and abbreviations in common use
  12. Buoyage
  13. IALA Maritime Buoyage Systems PDF download
  14. Cardinal Buoys
  15. North Cardinal
  16. East Cardinal Mark
  17. South Cardinal Mark
  18. West Cardinal Mark
  19. How to Pass a Cardinal Mark
  20. IALA Region A Lateral Buoys
  21. Port Hand Lateral Marks
  22. Starboard Hand Lateral Marks
  23. Preferred Channel Marks
  24. Preferred Channel to Port
  25. Preferred Channel to Starboard
  26. Safe Water Mark
  27. Isolated Danger Mark
  28. How to Pass an Isolated Danger Mark
  29. Emergency Wreck Marking Buoy
  30. Special Marks
  31. Region A all buoys by day and night
  32. Region B all buoys by day and night
  33. Buoyage Quiz
  34. The Operation of Electronic Charts
    1. Radar and ARPA
  35. Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS)
  36. The importance of regular checking of the vessel’s position and action to be taken if found off track
  37. Transits and Clearing Marks from the Chart in order to Plan a Safe Approach to Harbour or Anchorage
  38. Radar plotting
  39. Estimated Positions
  40. True Set and Drift
  41. Course to Steer
  42. Leeway
  43. Running Fixes
  44. Compass, True and Gyro Courses
  45. Compass to True Courses
  46. True to Compass Courses
  47. Horizontal Sextant Angles
  48. Luminious Range Diagrams
  49. Estimated Time of Arrival (ETA)
  50. Tides
  51. The Causes of Spring and Neap Tides
  52. European Standard Ports
  53. European Secondary Ports
  54. Pacific Standard Ports
  55. Pacific Secondary Ports
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Publications required under SOLAS

SOLAS Chapter V regulation 27 requires that all charts and publications for the intended voyage are adequate and up to date.

The following publications are required:

  • The sailing directions describe coastal navigation and port approaches that ships may take.
  • The list of lights covers navigational and light signal information for lights and fog signals. It covers lighthouses, lightships and floating lights.
  • Notices to mariners contains weekly updates on critical navigational safety information.
  • The tide tables provides the heights and times for ports around the world.

Passage Planning Principles

There are four stages of passage planning:

  • Appraisal
  • Planning
  • Execution
  • Monitoring

The principles remain the same regardless of if you are passage planning using paper charts, or using ECDIS.

The IMO Ship’s Roueting Guide

The IMO Ship’s Roueting Guide can be used at the appraisal stage of APEM.


The measures that are described or defined in parts are individually described in the following parts of the book:

  • B – Traffic separation schemes and inshore traffic zones
  • C – Deepwater routes
  • D – Areas to be avoided
  • E – Other routeing measures, such as recommended tracks, two-way routes and recommended directions of traffic flow
  • F – The rules and recommendations on navigation that are associated with particular traffic areas and straits
  • G – Mandatory ship reporting systems, mandatory routeing systems and mandatory no anchoring areas and
  • H – Archipelagic sea lanes.

Admiralty Chart 5500

Admiralty Mariners’ Routeing Guide Chart – 5500 English Channel and Dover Strait is designed to assist in the appraisal stage of the passage planning by assisting with navigation and passage planning for English Channel and Dover Strait.

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