Passage Planning Guide - Straits of Malacca and Singapore (SOMS) - (PPG - SOMS 2025-26 Edition)

This Guide summarises essential passage planning practice, including elements local to the Straits, to help navigating officers compile an effective passage plan. It includes practical guidance for the transit, with reference to manning levels, traffic, tugs, pilotage, anchorages, tidal streams, communications, etc.

Annotated chartlets, which now feature satellite imagery, are provided for each leg of the transit, illustrating aids to navigation and potential hazards to shipping. The chartlets are supported by guidance notes containing further navigational and safety information.

In preparation for this new edition, Witherbys have worked in consultation with Straits Pilots, harbour pilots, port authorities, local navigation superintendents and shipmasters transiting the Straits.

The Guide illustrates areas where high vigilance is required and lists the pre-emptive measures that should be taken by the ship. Also included are a number of case studies that examine the causes of various groundings and collisions in the Straits.

This new edition now includes information on the MPA's Just In Time Planning and Coordination Platform, which helps to facilitate the optimal arrival and departure of vessels to and from the Port of Singapore. Vessel reporting and pre-arrival information has been updated and expanded, with the addition of helpful flowcharts to illustrate the requirements.

The tidal streams supplement, which contains high quality diagrams to provide mariners with information about the tidal conditions in the Straits, has now been incorporated into the book as an annex. Additionally, copies of the Pre-Entry Bridge Team Meeting Checklist have been inserted as perforated pages that can be torn out for ease of use. This edition also includes a handy bookmark with QR codes linking to useful PDF downloads, such as Port Marine Circulars.

Information is also taken from appropriate nautical publications and from:

• Rules for Vessels Navigating through the Straits of Malacca and Singapore
• STRAITREP - Mandatory Reporting Procedures
• Port Marine Circulars (Singapore)
• IMO assembly resolutions.

Preface

Acknowledgements

Notices

List of Abbreviations

Note on Spellings

PART 1 Background and Supporting Notes to the Guide

1.1 Introduction

1.2 Master?s Guidance for Arriving Ships (Notification and Papers)

1.3 Current Status of Port Development

1.4 Under Keel Clearance (UKC)

1.4.1 3.5 m UKC Rule Throughout the SOMS

1.4.2 Background to the 3.5 m UKC Value for the SOMS

1.4.3 Background to the 4.0 m Recommended UKC at Eastern Bank

1.4.4 UKC Requirement for the SOMS and Eastern Bank

1.4.5 Graph of Predicted Squat for Large Ships

1.5 Key Depths Eastbound and Westbound

1.5.1 Key Depths - Eastbound ('Controlling Depths' and 'Spot Depths')

1.5.2 Key Depths - Eastbound (Chart Overview)

1.5.3 UKC Considerations when Planning a Transit over 'Eastern Bank'

1.5.4 Westbound Deep Draught Vessels (Key Depths)

1.5.5 Sandwaves

1.5.6 Key Depths - Westbound (Chart Overview)

1.6 Ship Traffic Management Systems in the SOMS

1.6.1 'Just in Time' Platform

1.6.2 STRAITREP - Mandatory Reporting Procedures

1.6.3 Reporting Requirements for Vessels Calling at Singapore

1.7 Passage Planning

1.7.1 Error Management

1.7.2 Preparations for Planning

1.7.3 Preparing the Plan

1.7.4 Preparing ECDIS

1.7.5 SOMS Pre-Entry Bridge Team Meeting

1.7.6 Video Brief of East and West Passages in the SOMS

1.7.7 Charts and Nautical Publications

1.8 Practical Guidance for the Transit

1.8.1 Bridge Manning Levels

1.8.2 Engine Room Manning Levels

1.8.3 Use of Engines

1.8.4 Speed of VLCCs and Deep Draught Vessels

1.8.5 Monitoring the Passage Plan

1.8.6 Traffic

1.8.6.1 Fishing Vessels

1.8.6.2 Ferries

1.8.6.3 Tugs and Tows

1.8.6.4 Deep Draught Vessels

1.8.6.5 Container Vessels

1.8.6.6 Reclamation or 'Mosquito' Barges

1.8.7 Pilot Boarding Grounds in the Port of Singapore

1.8.7.1 Calling 'Singapore Pilots' for Ships Arriving at Singapore

1.8.7.2 Pilot Boats

1.8.7.3 Pilot Resources

1.8.7.4 Pilot Transfer Arrangements

1.8.8 Voluntary Pilotage Services (VPS) - Straits of Malacca and Singapore

1.8.9 Deep Draught Vessel - Transit Details Broadcast via NAVTEX

1.8.10 Storing in Transit

1.8.11 Bunkers

1.8.12 AIS

1.8.13 VHF Communication and Collision Avoidance

1.8.14 Example Tidal Window Calculation

1.8.15 Currents and Tidal Streams

1.8.16 Batu Berhanti and Tidal Streams in that Area

1.8.17 Advice when Navigating in the Vicinity of Batu Berhanti

1.8.18 Tidal Streams in the Vicinity of Batu Berhanti

1.8.19 Aids to Navigation

1.8.20 Crossing the TSS and Precautionary Areas During Hours of Darkness

1.9 Weather (Monsoon Seasons and Haze)

1.10 Security: Piracy and Armed Robbery

1.11 Singapore Anchorages

1.11.1 Detentions of Ships Anchoring OPL in Indonesian and Malaysian Waters

PART 2 Case Studies: Groundings, Collisions and High Vigilance Areas (Case Studies)

2.1 Grounding and Collision Statistics

2.2 Areas of Highest Potential for Risk of Collision

2.3 Causes of Collisions in the SOMS

2.4 Grounding and Collision Case Studies

2.5 High Vigilance Areas (HVAs)

2.5.1 Introduction to HVAs in the SOMS

2.6 High Vigilance Areas (HVAs) - Eastbound

2.6.1 Eastbound Crossing Precautionary Area to Western Boarding Ground 'A' (PWBGA)

2.6.2 Eastbound Turning in Towards Eastern Boarding Ground 'A' (PEBGA)

2.6.3 Eastbound to Eastern Boarding Ground 'B' (PEBGB)

2.7 High Vigilance Areas (HVAs) - Westbound

2.7.1 Westbound - Transiting the TSS South of Tanjung Ayam

2.7.2 Westbound to Eastern Boarding Ground 'C' (PEBGC)

2.7.3 Westbound in Vicinity of Eastern Boarding Ground 'A' (PEBGA)

2.7.4 Westbound Transit in the Vicinity of Southern Boarding Ground (PSBG)

2.7.5 Westbound Transit in the Vicinity of North Nipa Bn

2.7.6 Westbound - Mudah Selatan

PART 3 Passage Notes

3.1 Eastbound Passage Notes - Malacca Strait and Singapore Straits

3.2 Westbound Passage Notes - Singapore Straits and Malacca Strait

PART 4 Annexes

Annex 1 - Guidance Notes Prior to the Pre-Entry Bridge Team Meeting

Annex 2 - Rules for Vessels Navigating through the Straits of Malacca and Singapore

Annex 3 - Singapore LNG Terminal (Jurong Island)

Annex 4 - Tidal Streams in the Vicinity of Batu Berhanti

Index

Witherbys

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