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3) |
On all commercial vessels normally operating only in the Thames, there shall be prepared a generic Port Passage Plan, appropriate for use during the vessel’s routine passage and operations in the Thames. All such Port Passage Plans shall be submitted to the Harbourmaster for approval, prior to use. |
Clarification of Requirement
All vessels operating in the river on regular and routine routes should have a generic passage plan approved by the Harbourmaster. The passage plan should take account of the craft’s normal trading patterns and either take account of unusual or irregular voyages or provide for a separate passage plan for exceptional operations.
In order to assist owners and masters comply with the General Direction this Notice is published to provide guidance and assistance.
Passage planning consists of four elements noted below.
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Appraising all relevant information
Planning the intended voyage
Executing the plan taking account of prevailing conditions
Monitoring the vessel’s progress against the plan continuously. |
SOLAS chapter V annexes 24 and 25 provide a guide to passage planning and can be found on the MCA website.
https://mcanet.mcga.gov.uk/public/c4/solas/index.html.
General Direction No.8 provides a list of publications which could also provide useful information.
For vessels regularly trading through the Thames Bridges in the Upper District, the PLA has published a simple template which allows owners and masters to determine the appropriate times it is safe for their craft to pass under bridges. Class V passenger vessels are already required to display the air draught of the craft within sight of the person steering the boat. Operators must determine by risk assessment, the safe clearances between the vessel and any bridge superstructure. The template can be used for single vessel or classes of craft with similar characteristics. The PLA have also published guidance on carrying out marine risk assessments.
The PLA will be publishing charts with a more appropriate scale for use on the river than exists in current publications, which may assist the passage planning process.
Harbourmasters in the Upper and Lower Districts may be consulted if further guidance is required and before plans are submitted for approval.
