How to Build a Simple Passage Plan for Sailing
There’s a moment a lot of new skippers recognise.
We’ve done the theory. We’ve got the qualification. We’re standing on the pontoon with a forecast in one hand, a chart in the other, and a boat full of people looking vaguely in our direction for some sort of plan.
And suddenly it all feels like a lot.
Weather. Tide. Depth. Streams. Crew. Pilotage. Where are we going? When are we leaving? What if we get there and the marina is full? What if the wind does something annoying, because it does enjoy doing that from time to time?
Don’t worry. Passage planning is not a dark art.
A good passage plan does not need to become a 12-page report with laminated tabs, colour coding, and a small emotional breakdown halfway through. It needs to help us make good decisions before we go, and it needs to be clear enough that we can use it once we are underway.
That is the whole point.
So let’s strip it back and look at how to build a simple passage plan we will actually use.
What Is a Passage Plan?
A passage plan is our plan for getting from one place to another safely.
That might be a quick afternoon hop along a familiar bit of coast. It might be a longer day passage with a tidal gate, a tricky harbour entrance, and a few shipping lanes thrown in for entertainment. It might be the first leg of a summer cruise.
The level of planning changes with the trip, but the thinking stays the same.
We are trying to answer a few pretty simple questions.
Where are we going?
Can the boat do it?
Can the crew do it?
What will the weather and tide be doing?
What hazards do we need to avoid?
What will we do if the plan changes?
Who knows where we are?
If we can answer those clearly, we are well on our way.
A Quick Word on the Rules
There is also a legal side to this.
SOLAS Chapter V includes requirements around voyage or passage planning. MCA guidance and RYA advice both make it clear that this applies to small vessels and pleasure craft, but the level of detail should be proportionate to the boat, the crew, and the trip. A short local sail does not need the same level of written plan as a longer coastal passage, but we still need to think it through properly.
That is the sensible bit. The law is not really asking us to fill in paperwork for the sake of it. It is asking us to do what a careful skipper should be doing anyway.
Think before we go.
Look at the risks.
Make a plan that fits the passage.
Then keep checking that plan once we are underway.
The Simple Passage Planning Checklist
For most leisure passages, we can build our plan around seven areas:
- Weather
- Tides
- The boat
- Crew
- Route and hazards
- Destination and alternatives
- Information ashore
Let’s work through those.
1. Weather
Weather comes first because it decides whether we go at all.
We are not just looking for a nice number on a weather app. We need to understand what the weather will actually feel like on our route.
A 20-knot breeze behind us in flat water could be a great day out. A 20-knot wind against tide around a headland could be pretty unpleasant. Same boat. Same crew. Very different day.
So we want to look at:
- Wind strength
- Wind direction
- Whether it is building or easing
- Sea state
- Visibility
- Rain, fog, squalls, or thunderstorms
- What the weather is doing later, not just when we leave
That last one is the bit that catches people. We might leave in lovely conditions, but if the wind is forecast to build by mid-afternoon, we need to know whether we’ll be safely tied up by then or still slogging around a headland wondering why we didn’t stay in the marina cafe.
For UK coastal passages, the Met Office Inshore Waters Forecast is a good starting point. Apps are useful too, but it is worth cross-checking more than one source before a longer passage. Not because apps are bad, but because different models can tell slightly different stories. If they all broadly agree, great. If they disagree, that is useful information in itself.
2. Tides
Next up, tides.
Tides affect us in two main ways.
First, depth. Will we have enough water where we need it?
Second, tidal stream. Will the water be helping us, slowing us down, or pushing us sideways?
For depth, we need to check high water and low water times and heights. Not just the time. The height as well.
High water at 1400 is only half the story. If it is a big spring tide, we may have loads of water. If it is a smaller neap tide, the same harbour entrance might be a lot less forgiving. Time and height go together.
For tidal stream, we need to know which way the water is moving and how fast. A fair tide can make a passage quick and comfortable. A foul tide can turn a simple trip into a long, slow punishment.
And around headlands, overfalls, tidal races, bars, and narrow entrances, the tide can be the whole game.
This is where we work out things like:
Can we carry the tide most of the way?
Will we hit the tidal gate at the right time?
Will wind against tide make the sea uncomfortable?
Will we arrive with enough water to get in?
If the answer is no, we change the plan before we leave. Much easier than discovering it at the entrance with everyone staring at the depth sounder.
3. The Boat
Before we get too excited about the route, we need to think about the boat.
Every boat has limits.
Some are fast. Some are slow. Some motor happily for hours. Some have fuel tanks that seem to have been designed by an optimist. Some are comfortable in a chop. Others make the crew question every life choice that led them to this moment.
So we need to know the basics:
- Draught
- Air draught
- Realistic cruising speed
- Fuel range
- Battery capacity
- Engine reliability
- Sail plan
- Safety equipment
- Navigation equipment
- How well we know the boat
Draught is how deep the boat is, so how much water the boat needs underneath it. Air draught is the opposite, it is how much height it needs above it. Both are worth knowing before we find shallow water or a bridge. You do not want to be working out the height of the mast while approaching something solid.
Cruising speed is another big one. Be honest with it. If the boat usually averages 5 knots, planning at 6.5 knots because we are feeling cheerful will make the whole plan fall apart.
Fast boat, shorter passage. Slow boat, longer passage. Simple enough, but only if we use the real number.
4. Crew
Now we look at the people.
A passage that is fine for an experienced crew might be a bit much for first-timers. A long day beating into wind might technically be safe, but if half the crew are seasick and cold, it will not feel like a great success.
So we ask:
Who is onboard?
How experienced are they?
Can they steer, keep lookout, reef, navigate, or use the radio?
Does anyone get seasick?
Does anyone have medical needs?
Are we sailing with children, nervous crew, or people who have never been on a yacht before?
This does not mean we wrap everyone in cotton wool. It just means we plan the passage for the crew we actually have, rather than the imaginary crew we wish we had.
If we have a new crew, we might choose a shorter passage, easier arrival, or bigger weather margin.
5. Route and Hazards
Now we can look at the route.
This is where we get the chart out and ask, “What could hurt us, slow us down, or make life awkward?”
We are looking for things like:
- Rocks
- Shallows
- Wrecks
- Overfalls
- Tidal races
- Sandbanks
- Restricted areas
- Firing ranges
- Traffic Separation Schemes
- Shipping lanes
- Wind farms
- Anchorage areas
- Buoys or marks that may have changed
This is also where Notices to Mariners come in. Charts are brilliant, but they are only as good as the updates applied to them. Buoys move. Lights change. New obstructions appear. Sandbanks shift around, because apparently the seabed likes to keep us humble.
If we are using electronic charts, we still need to know whether they are up to date. If we are using paper charts, we need to know when they were last corrected.
Then we build a route that keeps us clear of the dangers.
That might mean waypoints. It might mean clearing bearings. It might mean transits. It might mean a simple “do not go inside this buoy” note in big letters.
Whatever format we use, the goal is the same. When we are underway, tired, distracted, and trying to eat a sandwich that has somehow become 40% chart table, the important bits need to be easy to find.
6. Destination and Alternatives
A lot of people plan the journey and then sort of hope the arrival will sort itself out.
That is not the best plan.
The arrival is often the most demanding part of the day. We might be tired. The light might be fading. The wind might be up. The harbour might be unfamiliar. There may be moorings, ferries, shallow patches, tide across the entrance, or a marina berth that requires reversing into a space roughly the size of a shoebox.
So we plan the last mile properly.
We want to know:
- Where is the entrance?
- Are there leading lights, transits, or buoyed channels?
- Is there a tidal gate?
- Is there a minimum depth?
- Can we enter at night?
- Do we need to call the harbour or marina?
- What side of the channel should we favour?
- Are there local rules?
- Where are we going once inside?
Then we choose alternatives.
This does not need to be dramatic. We are not planning for disaster every time we go sailing. We are just giving ourselves options.
If the destination is full, where else can we go?
If the wind is stronger than forecast, what is easier?
If we are slower than expected and miss the tide, where can we wait?
If visibility drops, what is the safest nearby harbour?
A plan without an alternative puts pressure on us to keep going even when the sensible decision is to change. A good alternative takes that pressure away.
7. Information Ashore
Once we are happy with the plan, someone ashore should know what we are doing.
That person does not need every tidal calculation, every waypoint, and a full emotional breakdown of our thought process. They just need enough information to raise the alarm if we do not check in.
Give them:
- The boat name
- Who is onboard
- Where we are leaving from
- Where we are going
- The rough route
- When we expect to arrive
- The latest time they should hear from us
- What to do if they do not hear from us
The old CG66/SafeTrx route is not something I would include in this blog now. GOV.UK says the Coastguard safety scheme is closed, and RYA SafeTrx ended on 31 December 2025.
So for now, keep it simple and reliable. Use a responsible shore contact, make the instructions clear, and do not forget to update them if the plan changes.
Also, think about how we will check in. If we are heading to a remote anchorage with no phone signal, a “we’ll text you when we arrive” plan might not work. In that case, set a later check-in time for when we expect to be back somewhere with signal.
Safety and Distress Equipment
We should carry safety and distress-alerting equipment that suits the boat, the crew, and the passage.
For many UK pleasure vessels under 13.7m, there are no statutory safety equipment requirements beyond SOLAS V, but that does not mean we head out with nothing. It means we use judgement and carry what is appropriate for where we are going.
At the very least, we should be thinking about:
- Lifejackets
- VHF radio, ideally DSC
- A way to call for help
- A way to be found
- First aid kit
- Fire equipment
- Navigation lights
- Torch
- Spare warm clothing
- Means of getting weather updates
- Appropriate distress equipment
Depending on the passage, that might also include flares, electronic visual distress signals, PLBs, an EPIRB, AIS MOB devices, liferaft, grab bag, and other equipment.
The key point is this: having equipment onboard is only half the job. The crew need to know where it is, when to use it, and how to use it.
If we carry a 406 MHz PLB or EPIRB on a UK vessel or watercraft, it must be registered, and the details need to be kept up to date.
What We Actually Write Down
A passage plan does not need to be beautiful. It needs to be useful.
It can be a printed proforma, a notebook page, a chart table sheet, or a laminated card. Whatever we use, it should be clear enough that someone else onboard could make sense of it if needed.
A simple format could look like this:
Departure
Port, date, planned departure time, and any departure notes.
Destination
Harbour, marina, anchorage, entry notes, contact details, and any tidal restrictions.
Route
Waypoints, courses, distances, hazards, clearing bearings, and any pilotage notes.
Weather
Forecast summary for the whole passage window, plus any limits we have set.
Tides
High and low water times and heights, tidal stream notes, and tidal gates.
Boat
Draught, air draught, fuel, battery, cruising speed, and any limitations.
Crew
Experience, watchkeeping, seasickness risk, and any special considerations.
Alternatives
Ports of refuge or anchorages, with any entry restrictions.
Shore contact
Who knows we have gone, when we will check in, and when they should raise concern.
That is a proper passage plan because it gives us the information we need when we need it.
A Simple Example
Let’s say we are planning an 18-mile day passage.
We are leaving at 0930.
The boat normally cruises at 5 knots.
That gives us roughly 3 hours 40 minutes underway, before we add a bit of margin for faffing, sail changes, tide, and the general nonsense boats enjoy throwing at us.
So our plan might say:
Departure: 0930 from Port A
Destination: Port B
Distance: 18 NM
Expected speed: 5 knots
ETA: 1315 to 1330
Weather limit: wait if forecast is F5 or more, especially against tide
Tide: fair for the first half, easing near arrival
Hazards: overfalls off the headland, shallow patch near approach
Alternative: Port C if delayed or if visibility worsens
Shore contact: text before departure and on arrival, raise concern if no contact by 1700
This gives us something to work with. We know when we are leaving, when we should arrive, what could catch us out, and what we will do if things change.
Common Mistakes We See
These come up a lot, so let’s get them out in the open before they catch us on the water.
Only checking the weather once
The forecast we checked with breakfast might not be the latest forecast by the time we leave. Check again before departure. It takes very little time and can save a pretty uncomfortable day.
Checking tide times but not tide heights
High water at 1400 is useful. High water at 1400 with a height of 3.8m is much more useful. We need both, because depth is what keeps the keel away from the hard stuff.
Planning the route but not the arrival
The approach is often the busy bit. Plan the entrance, the channel, the berth or anchorage, and the tidal restrictions before we get there.
Using optimistic boat speed
If the boat normally averages 5 knots, use 5 knots. Planning on 6.5 knots because it makes the tide work is not planning. It is hoping.
Leaving the alternative blank
“We’ll figure it out if we need to” sounds fine until we are tired, late, and the weather is getting worse. Pick the alternative while everything is calm.
Forgetting the shore contact
Someone ashore should know where we are going and when to expect us. Give them a clear latest check-in time and clear instructions.
The “What If?” Walk-Through
One of the best habits we can build is a quick “what if?” walk-through before we go.
Just two or three minutes of thinking like a skipper.
What if the wind freshens by 10 knots?
What if we are an hour slower than planned?
What if the tide turns before we reach the headland?
What if someone gets seasick?
What if the marina is full?
What if visibility drops?
We do not need to write a full answer to every single question. We just need to have thought about them.
Because if one of them happens, we are not starting from scratch. We are already halfway to the decision.
Do We Need a Passage Plan for a Short Daysail?
Yes, but it should fit the trip.
A short sail in familiar waters does not need the same written plan as a coastal passage to an unfamiliar harbour. But we still need to check the weather, tide, crew, boat, hazards, and options.
If we are just heading out for a couple of hours, the plan might be pretty quick:
Weather suitable?
Enough water?
Any local hazards?
Crew happy?
Where are we going if conditions change?
Who knows when we are due back?
That might take five minutes.
What Software or Apps Can We Use?
There are lots of useful tools out there. Navionics, Savvy Navvy, PredictWind, Windy, and plenty of others can all help with different parts of the job.
Use them. They are brilliant tools.
But, we need to understand what they are telling us.
Auto-routing can be useful, but it does not replace skippering. An app might draw a route, but we still need to ask whether that route makes sense for our boat, our crew, the tide, the weather, and the local hazards.
If the app says go one way and our chart, almanac, and brain say something else, pause. That is a good moment to slow down and work out why.
Paper or Digital?
Use whatever we will actually use.
A perfect plan in a folder that never leaves the chart table is not much help. A messy but clear plan in the cockpit that we actually refer to is much better.
A lot of skippers use both. Digital tools for planning, weather, and live navigation. A written plan for the key numbers, timings, hazards, and alternatives.
That way, if a tablet dies, a phone gets wet, or the chartplotter throws a wobbly, we still have the key information.
Technology is great. Backups are also great.
Download: Ardent’s Simple Passage Planning Template
We have put together a simple passage planning template you can print, fill in, and keep with your charts.
It is designed to fit the way we actually plan on small boats. One page. Clear boxes. No waffle.
Use it for:
- Day passages
- Practical course preparation
- Charter holidays
- First skippered trips
- Getting into the habit before bigger passages
Download the free passage planning template
If you are working towards Day Skipper Theory, or you have just passed and want to feel more confident before your practical, this is a great place to start.
What Next?
Passage planning brings together so much of what we learn in Day Skipper Theory.
Weather. Tides. Chartwork. Pilotage. Safety. Crew management. Decision-making.
If any of those bits still feel a bit fuzzy, don’t worry. That is exactly what the course is for. We build it up from the beginning, step by step, until the whole thing starts to feel much more natural.
Start a free trial of Day Skipper Theory
Well done. If we can check the weather, work the tide, understand the boat, think about the crew, spot the hazards, choose an alternative, and tell someone ashore, we are doing the right things.
Next time we are stood on the pontoon with the chart out, we have a plan.
