Navigation in Special

Conditions

Coastal navigation
 Coastal Navigation

Documents’ Study

Coastal navigation requires a thorough knowledge

of the navigational sector because one of the most
frequent accidents in navigation is the ship’s
grounding. In order to know the navigation area’s
characteristics, deck officers must study all
documents which are part of the navigational
activity in fully secure conditions.
Coastal Navigation

The main documents which should be

studied are:
 Navigation charts
 Notices to mariners
 Sailing Directions
 List of lights and fog signals
 Recommended routes
 Tide Currents tables
 Tide Currents atlases
 Coastal Navigation

Navigation charts

Ocean
charts
 Coastal Navigation

General charts
for
navigation
 Coastal Navigation

Coastal
routes
charts
 Coastal Navigation

Special
coastal
charts
 Coastal Navigation

Plans
 Coastal Navigation

Routeing
charts
 Coastal Navigation

Instructional
charts
Coastal Navigation
 Coastal Navigation

Notices to mariners
Notices to mariners are edited weekly and they contain
information giving the possibility for seafarers to keep the charts
and publications updated according to the last reports received
from the hydrographical office.
The content of the Notices to mariners is structured in sections
as follows:
 Section I Explanatory notes and the index of Section II;
 Section II Charts and publications recently edited and charts’
corrections;
 Section III Navigational warnings;
 Section IV Corrections for Sailing Directions;
 Section V Corrections for the List of Lights and fog signals;
 Section VI Corrections for the Radio beacons’ Book
Coastal Navigation
 Coastal Navigation

Sailing Directions

Sailing directions are

publications which
contain details referring
to recognizing the coast
and the navigational
marks, in depths,
currents, magnetic
anomalies, etc.
The Hydrographical
Office of the United
Kingdom of Great
Britain presents such
information worldwide in
74 volumes.
 Coastal Navigation

List of Lights and Fog Signals

Publication containing details

concerning lighthouses
(number, name, geographical
coordinates, lights’
characteristic – colour,
intensity, visibility sectors,
period, construction etc.
Lighthouses are listed in 11
volumes according to the
navigational area.
 Coastal Navigation

Ocean Passages for the World

They contain useful

information in planning
voyages when crossing
oceans. They provide
information concerning
winds, weather, climate,
currents and ice areas
which may be encountered
when crossing and the
shortest routes between
ports or important positions
are suggested.
 Coastal Navigation

Plotting the course

It is recommended to respect certain criteria when plotting the course:

Along the coasts which are oriented in straight line, the course is
plotted parallel to the coast;
Around areas with an irregular boundary, the course is plotted in
such a way that the ship would pass safely along the most advanced
points at sea, considering also the necessary space for manoeuvres in
order to avoid collisions and at the same time not prolonging
unjustifiably the course.
Distance between the track and the coast must provide the
possibility of observing navigational marks (land marks and sea
marks) in daytime or at night for the ship’s position to be precisely
determined. The depth of water, ship’s draught, hydro meteorological
conditions in the area are also considered.
 Coastal Navigation

 Along the coasts with strong winds, excessive closure to the coast
should be avoided, especially for low speed ships.
 It is recommended to avoid white areas from the chart.
 Way points are established considering some navigational marks
(land marks and sea marks), usually at the time of the observation
abeam of a mark.
 Once the route is established, the magnetic declination is
calculated for the present year, which is noted inside the magnetic
roses.
 Coastal Navigation

Navigation routes’ system

The system pursues an increase of safety in navigation in compulsory
passing coastal areas with intense traffic, where the following aspects
should be supervised:

Routing the traffic on one way traffic lanes separated by separation

traffic schemes;
Simplifying the traffic flux in areas where the ships’ routes approach to a
certain point (pilot stations, port entrances/rivers, etc.)
Controlling the traffic in bottom of the sea exploitation areas;
Separating the coastal traffic, between small ships and deep sea liners;
Reducing the risk of striking the bottom of the sea or grounding for
ships with a high draught in areas with limited or shallow depths;
Providing special routes for ships carrying dangerous cargoes with a
high risk of pollution/explosion;
Orienting the traffic in such a way to avoid fishing areas.
 Coastal Navigation

Zona de trafic costier

Limita exterioara de nord

Culoar de trafic

Zona de separatie

Culoar de trafic

Limita exterioara de sud

Zona de trafic costier

Coastal Navigation

Routeing system – is a complex of actions regarding the

routes which must be pursued by ships in order to reduce
the risk of navigational accidents.
It includes:
- traffic separation schemes;
- both ways routes;
- recommended courses;
- coastal traffic areas;
- deep sea routes and areas which should
be avoided.
Coastal Navigation

 Traffic separation scheme – it is a scheme which

separates the traffic in opposite ways by using one are or
separation lines and some traffic lanes;
 Separation zone or line – it is an area or a line
separating the traffic in opposite ways. It can be also
used to separate a traffic lane from the adjacent coastal
traffic area;
 Traffic lane – it is a limited area inside which the ona
way traffic should be pursued.
 Roundabout – it is a circular delimited area in which
traffic has an anti clock wise direction around a certain
point or area;
Coastal Navigation

 Inshore traffic zone – it is an area between the exterior

limit of a traffic separation scheme and the coast;
 Two-way route – it is a limited area inside which traffic
goes in both ways. Navigation should be as close to the
starboard limit as possible;
 Recommended track – it is the route recommended
between two determined positions;
 Deep water route – it is the route inside a limited area
where a careful surveillance took place in order to identify
navigational dangers indicating the minimum depth of
water.
 Precautionary area – it is a measure of the routes’
system of navigation inside an area with defined limits
where ships must sail with caution and where traffic
directions could be recommended.
Coastal Navigation

 Area to be avoided – it is also a measure of the routes’

system represented by a determined area in which
navigation is either dangerous or in that perimeter
incidents should be avoided and the area will be avoided
by all ships or by ships belonging to a certain category.
 Established direction of traffic flow – these are
graphic (arrows) which indicate the movement direction
of the traffic as it was established in the traffic separation
scheme.
 Recommended direction of traffic flow – these are
graphic symbols (arrows) which indicate the movement
directions of traffic recommended in a routes’ system of
navigation in which it is not absolutely necessary to adopt
established directions for the traffic flow.
 Coastal Navigation

Steering the ship in a traffic separation area:

 Performed by obeying COLREG provisions;

 Performed by obeying also the following particular rules:
 Navigation towards the indicated directions by the arrows of the
flow;
 The route is maintained outside the separation traffic area or line,
which is left on the port side;
 Entering and exit into/from a lane is pursued by its ends;
 Crossing the traffic lanes should be avoided as much as possible;
 Entering separation traffic area or intersecting the separation line
are forbidden;
 It is recommended for ships designated for deep sea navigation to
avoid coastal traffic areas;
 Anchorage should be avoided in the traffic separation scheme
area;
 It is recommended for ships which do not use the traffic separation
scheme to stay as far as possible outside it.