Where candidates go wrong
Candidates treat planning as drawing a line on a chart plotter. The examiner wants to hear the publications you used and that your charts are corrected. A candidate who cannot say where Notices to Mariners come from, or what a chart abbreviation means, will not get far in Part B.
How this topic is tested
MIN 690 Amendment 6 sets out the two-part structure for Master (code vessels less than 200 GT)/OOW (yachts less than 500 GT):
| Part | Format | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| A | Online, computer-based, proctored | 15 questions, each with four test points; maximum 40 minutes; 3 questions each on COLREG, IALA buoyage and navigational procedures, 6 from the rest of the syllabus |
| B | Online oral with an MCA examiner | Booked after passing Part A; must be completed within 12 months of the Part A pass |
Part A minimum pass marks: COLREG 90%, IALA 90%, navigational procedures 80%, and 50% for regulation, emergency procedures, communication, seaworthiness and "other" (ship handling, meteorology, safety and security). MIN 690 states that the minima are not negotiable. A Part A pass is valid for 1 year.
Syllabus reference
Section 1.1: passage planning with navigational publications, including charts, sailing directions, light lists, tide tables, and radio and navigational warnings; chart symbols and abbreviations; obtaining and using weekly Notices to Mariners to correct charts.
Appraisal — what to gather
| Source | Why |
|---|---|
| Charts (large scale for ports and approaches) | Dangers, depths, marks, TSS |
| Sailing directions and pilot notes | Local hazards, port rules, anchorages |
| Light list | Characteristics to identify lights at night |
| Tide tables and tidal stream atlas | Heights for depth and times for streams |
| Radio and navigational warnings | Temporary hazards, buoy changes, exercises |
| Weather forecasts | Go/no-go decision and timing |
| Notices to Mariners | Chart corrections |
Planning — what to put on the chart
- Tracks with courses and distances; clearing lines off dangers.
- Safe water limits and no-go areas.
- Waypoints that are not on top of hazards or marks.
- Positions where you expect to see lights and marks.
- Tidal gates and timing; ETA.
- Safe havens along the route — the certificate's area limit is measured from a safe haven, which MSN 1858 defines as a harbour or shelter of any kind affording safe entry and protection from the weather.
Chart corrections
Weekly Notices to Mariners contain permanent corrections, temporary and preliminary notices, and navigational warnings in force. Enter corrections in ink, record them in the chart correction log and on the chart's small-corrections box, and check your electronic chart updates too.
TIP — Know your symbols The examiner may point at a symbol: wreck, rock awash, overfalls, restricted area, cable. Learn the common ones from the chart symbols publication until you do not need to think.
Yacht angle
On a code vessel doing day charters, the "passage" may be 10 miles. The same process applies: a short plan, briefed to crew, with the day's weather and the guests' programme in mind.
Command-level obligation
As master you must make sure the passage is planned with corrected charts and current information before you leave. SOLAS V/34 applies the principle to all ships going to sea. If you cannot show the examiner how you would do it, he will assume you do not do it at all.