Module 14 - Passage Planning
Passage Plan: Waypoints, Tidal Gates and Cockpit Cards
Quick answer
The plan stage turns your appraisal into a usable route: waypoints, courses, distances, ETAs, tidal gates, safe havens, and a cockpit card.
- Plot the route and label each leg clearly.
- Check tidal gates and fallback harbours before departure.
- Brief the crew on the plan, roles, and emergency options.
Plot the route on the chart. Mark waypoints, courses, distances, and expected times. Note tidal gates (times when the tide allows safe passage over a bar or through a narrows). Identify safe havens along the route — bolt holes you can reach if conditions deteriorate.
Prepare a passage plan card for the cockpit with key data: waypoints, courses, distances, tidal information, VHF channels, and phone numbers. Brief the crew on the plan, watch system, and what to do in an emergency.
Key points
- Plot route with waypoints, courses, distances, and ETAs
- Identify tidal gates and timing constraints
- Mark bolt holes (alternative harbours) along the route
- Prepare a cockpit card with key data
- Brief the crew on the plan and their roles
Common mistakes
- Making a route without realistic tidal timing.
- Planning only the ideal route and no bolt holes.
- Leaving useful pilotage notes below deck instead of preparing a cockpit card.
Common questions
What should a Day Skipper passage plan include?
A practical passage plan should include waypoints, courses, distances, ETAs, tidal gates, hazards, bolt holes, weather limits, VHF channels and crew briefing notes.
What is a cockpit passage plan card?
It is a short waterproof summary of the passage plan kept at the helm, usually showing courses, distances, waypoints, tidal notes, VHF channels and emergency information.
What is a tidal gate?
A tidal gate is a time window when tide height or tidal stream allows safe progress through a shallow, narrow or otherwise constrained part of the route.
Keep revising this topic
Last reviewed: 5 July 2026 by Day Skipper Revision
Build a complete passage plan
The passage-planning module connects appraise, plan, execute, monitor, and navigational records.