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2 Task area “Voyage planning” 
The task area of voyage planning comprises the following tasks: 
• Drafting the voyage plan 
• Checking the voyage plan, i.e. primarily examining whether the planned track can 
actually be followed, bearing in mind the ship’s space requirements and the hydro- 
graphic boundary conditions. 
• Recording all relevant meteorological and hydrographic information insofar as this is 
known during the planning phase. 
• Administering the voyage plan: storage, call-up, version control, protection mecha 
nisms (e.g. by passwords). 
2.1 Drafting the voyage plan 
In the course of voyage planning, a distinction is made between “route planning” and “track planning”. 
Route planning in this instance comprises rough determination of the way, i.e. fixing way points and 
preparing a (global) speed/time profile. Track planning, on the other hand, represents detailed planning 
of the track: stipulating the desired track, maximum transverse and longitudinal deviations and manoeu 
vring limits. 
Recording the input information necessary for voyage planning is likewise part of this task. This infor 
mation can generally be divided into two groups: 
1. Meteorological information: recording information concerning the weather conditions to 
be expected along the route being planned. 
2. Hydrographic information: water depths, traffic-diverting measures, swell, sea currents, 
expected ice conditions and tide conditions along the route or track to be planned. 
Route planning and track planning are distinguished with regard to the input information processed. 
Route planning considers the whole voyage being planned, in overview form. It thus represents a 
"coarse planning” process using “global information” (e.g. use of small-scale sea charts). Furthermore, 
route planning possesses a strong meteorological reference, i.e. the general voyage course is deter 
mined taking into account any expected bad weather regions, for example. In track planning, on the 
other hand, the main emphasis is on local considerations. Here for example are used detailed large- 
scale sea charts in order to establish the track taking into account local particulars (sea marks, water 
depths, traffic separation regions, etc). In track planning, the resultant information from route planning is 
used; the results of track planning are in turn the set data for subsequent voyage execution. 
2.1.1 Purpose of task 
The purpose of voyage planning is to supply the input information necessary for navigational operation, 
with regard to the track to be followed. It is therefore a rational move to use this information as a basis 
for the purpose of identifying functionalities. Taken individually, this involves the following: 
• Way points, i.e. geographical positions at which changes in course are to be under 
taken