Navigation and Bridge Resource Management Best Practices
Navigation Best Practices
Prioritizing Position Fixing
- Give highest priority to position fixing by visual bearings.
- Use at least two/three position lines.
- Calculate compass error.
- Do not use floating objects (buoys or beacons) for position fixing, unless their positions have been accurately established.
- Allow for errors of compass, sextant, and other navigational aids/equipment.
- Use the echo sounder to verify the UKC and the position of the vessel.
Bridge Resource Management (BRM)
Risk Assessment and Management
- Identify the hazards.
- Consider the potential harm.
- Evaluate the risks.
- Record all findings and measures of control.
- Review the assessment and if the risks are still not controlled, revise the plan until you reach a satisfactory conclusion.
Organizational Errors
Many accidents have been caused by organizational errors. These include insufficient information at the planning stage and/or a lack of communication between the members of the bridge team. Some examples:
- Failure to identify hazards
- Failure to allocate responsibilities
- Failure to prioritize tasks
- Inadequate assistance to the OOW, Master, and/or Pilot
- Insufficient monitoring
- Reliance on unsupported information
- Over-reliance on electronic navigational aids
- Hesitation in reporting a deviation from the passage plan and a failure to seek assistance
Additional Considerations
- Approaches and channels
- High traffic density
- Navigational decisions
- Captain’s responsibility
- VTS operating areas