Voyage Details

A sea voyage is a journey from one place to another by sea. Due to the distance and the time required to complete a voyage, proper planning must be in place before the start of the journey. Voyage planning or passage planning is a procedure to develop a complete description of the ship’s voyage from start to finish. A voyage plan is a critical safety procedure for preserving life at sea.

Voyage planning consists of four phases: appraisal, planning, execution, and monitoring. The appraisal process is an information-gathering stage; several technical tasks like weather forecasting, prediction of tides and currents, etc. are parts of the appraisal process. Once all the information is gathered, the actual planning of the voyage starts. Dates and timelines are developed during this phase. The execution phase starts with the finalization of the voyage plan. The final monitoring phase is a continuous monitoring stage where dynamic risk assessments help in the safe passage by sea.

Real World Example of Voyage

On April 2007, Reid Stowe, an American mariner, started a 1000-day ocean voyage. This journey was sailed on a gaff-rigged schooner named Anne, which was built by Stowe.

Reid Stowe and his team aimed to be in the open ocean, without resupply or pulling into any harbor, for one thousand days. Stowe achieved the circumnavigation of the entire globe under harsh weather conditions and despite wear and tear on the ship.

The voyage was met with several potentially dangerous incidents. The schooner accidentally ventured into a US Navy missile training path. Thankfully, the crew was able to divert the schooner upon a signal from the US Navy to avoid any potential impact. Despite opposition, during this voyage, Stowe and his team broke the world record for the longest non-stop ocean voyage.

History of Voyage

Voyages have been a part of history since the 1500s. The Age of Discovery was the period between the 15th and 17th centuries, where several explorers embarked on voyages to discover the world beyond them. The most notable pioneers of voyages and maritime exploration were of Portuguese and Spanish descent. One of these pioneers was Christopher Columbus, a voyager and maritime explorer in the late 1500s; today, he is regarded as one of the most important historical figures. In fact, Columbus was involved in the discovery of the Americas.

This phase of historical voyages established trade channels between European and Asian territories, eventually giving rise to the colonial period. The trading of important commodities like gold, silver, and spices began as a result of the Age of Discovery.

Types of Voyage

Classification of voyages is based on the duration and distance of the trip. Day sail experience is a single-day voyage during daylight hours. This voyaging experience is quite popular among families.

A coastal voyage lasts for around 2-3 nights. Based on the trip appraisal and planning, a coastal voyage can cover more than one coastal country.

Ocean and extreme voyages are long-distance voyages lasting 30-40 days. Such voyages cover over 1000 nautical miles over long, hard days and nights at sea.