How to Plan Your Voyage Using Admiralty Charts

Planning your trip with Admiralty charts in Australia is important to ensure a smooth and safe voyage. For navigational charts you can rely on, look to Boat Books, Australia’s premium maritime bookshop and chart agent.

Let’s take a look at how to plan your voyage using an admiralty chart to ensure your trip is smooth sailing.

Choosing the Right Chart

Before you can start planning your voyage, you need to make sure you have selected the right admiralty chart for your purposes. Having the right chart will help ensure that you have the correct navigational information to plan your voyage correctly.

As a mariner, you will need to determine whether you need to consult charts relating to coastal data, harbour data and environmental data. Begin by carefully examining the chosen chart to identify relevant navigational information, such as depths of potential obstructions, tidal data, shipping routes, and other navigational aids.

Route Planning and Passage Analysis

Once you have chosen and established the correct admiralty chart for your journey, detailed passage analysis and route planning will take place. This involves plotting the intended route on the chart, taking into account all relevant information, such as navigational hazards, tidal currents, weather conditions and desired waypoints.

You will need to use this information to ensure safe passage and avoid shallow areas and obstacles. The ideal solution is to maximise the efficiency of the route while ensuring that you and your crew remain safe.

It is also important to consider historical data, which can assist you in making decisions about the best routes for different kinds of travel.

Risk Assessment and Contingency Planning

Planning voyages using admiralty charts requires a thorough risk assessment and planning for contingencies. This is because, despite your best efforts, not everything will necessarily go according to plan, so it is important to assess the potential risks associated with the chosen route in advance, whether they be adverse weather conditions, unexpected vessel traffic, environmental hazards or other navigational challenges.

Before setting sail, establish alternative routes, safe harbour options, emergency procedures and what kind of communication protocols need to be followed in the event of danger.

Ensuring Compliance

You should always ensure that your chosen route is compliant with the relevant regulations and guidelines of Australian maritime law.

In order to avoid legal problems arising from non-compliance with regulations, Australian maritime law and international maritime regulations must be followed. Compliance issues generally relate to outdated charts, improper chart usage and incompliance with best practices and safety standards.

Here at Boat Books Australia, we supply a range of admiralty charts to help Australian mariners navigate their voyages with ease. For more information on the charts we supply, contact us today.