Next time you are navigating in the Singapore Strait,

just imagine if there was no traffic Separation scheme in

that area.

Or imagine crossing the Dover Strait without the

presence of any Traffic separation zone.

It would be chaos.

The increase in accidents would be many folds.

And you would say Hell no, it is so difficult to navigate

with TSS in these areas, leave alone navigating without

TSS.

I could not agree more.

There are 205 plus Traffic Separation Schemes adopted

by the IMO which suggests that even if you have been

sailing for only a couple of years, you would still have

been in a TSS.

But if you have not then let me clear the air right away.
The purple zones and line that you see for TSS are only

the imaginary lines drawn on the chart and you won’t

find these marked on the sea water as your chief officer

might have asked you to look for.

TSS makes the navigation a little easier but that also

brings complacency that leads to seafarers making

simple mistakes while using TSS.

Don’t trust me? Then hear this.

In 2017 alone, there have been a number of major

collisions in the TSS. One of those was the

infamous collision between MSC Alexandra and the

Dream II in Singapore Strait.

Worried by the number of accidents in Singapore Strait,

MPA Singapore even released a video on the Safe

passage in the Singapore Strait.

So the question is how to avoid all these troubles when

navigating in TSS? By avoiding simple mistakes that we

might be making in the TSS, I would say.

In this post, we will discuss 8 of these simple mistakes

that seafarers make while using TSS.

1. Joining and leaving a TSS

If we have to use a Traffic Separation Scheme, the first

thing we have to do is to join that TSS.

But there are few mistakes that seafarers make while

joining a TSS.

As per Rule 10 of the Colregs

normally join or leave a traffic lane at the termination of

the lane, but when joining or leaving from either side

shall do so at as small an angle to the general direction

of traffic flow as practicable

What does this mean?

This means that we must join the TSS at or before the

point where it starts.

I know you know that. But the mistake I will be pointing

out is not that but this.

Do you see any issue with this course in and around

TSS?

The ship has planned to enter and leave the TSS at the

termination of the TSS as required by rule no 10.

Everything looks OK but there is one issue with this

course.

The issue is that the ship has planned the to exit the

TSS at a course that would trouble the ships about to

join the TSS.

The solution to this issue is…

Do not plan to alter the course towards the traffic

planning to join the TSS. We can plan to continue to

move on our course for a couple of miles and then alter

the course.

In fact, this is exactly what rule 10(f) emphasizes on.

2. Crossing the TSS

I earlier said that TSS makes it so easy to navigate in

congested waters. But that is not true if you need to

cross a TSS.

Don’t trust me then try crossing the TSS to pick up the

pilot at Singapore.
The part of the TSS where there is expected crossing

traffic is marked by a precautionary area.

Consider that your ship is arriving from the west and

need to pick up the pilot at “Western pilot boarding A”.

You need to cross the TSS to pick up the pilot.

Now the mistake I see many seafarers do is to plan the

crossing this TSS like this.

This course may have the advantage of easily arriving

at the pilot station with heading 090 (parallel to the

breakwater).

But we must understand that we cannot cross the TSS

at this angle.

As per the Rule 10,

A vessel shall, so far as practicable, avoid crossing

traffic lanes but if obliged to do so shall cross on a

heading as nearly as practicable at right angles to the

general direction of traffic flow

3. Using a wrong TSS

I know a couple of instances where the port authorities

fined the seafarers and the company for using a wrong

TSS.

What do I mean by the wrong TSS?

At few places, you will find two Traffic separation

schemes at the same place. That is two TSS in an

upward direction and two in the downward direction.

Which TSS do we need to follow?

We just need to check the information on the chart

and/or sailing directions for that area. This will have the

information about each of these TSS.

The information could be something like this.

So if the ship is carrying dangerous cargo in bulk, the

ship must use the lane C if southbound and lane D if

northbound.

But I must be a silly person if I think that seafarers just

follow the lane as per their choice.

Then why do they make this mistake?

While sometimes it may be just because of negligence,

other times there may be other reasons.

The reasons like following the previously used passage

plan. When the last time this TSS was used, the vessel

may be loaded with dangerous cargo in bulk.

The next time, the vessel may not have dangerous

cargo in bulk. But as the previous passage plan was

used, vessel followed the wrong lane.

But whatever the reason, it cannot be an excuse for

using the wrong lane.

4. Missing Mandatory reporting

Using some of the TSS require the ships to do certain

reporting. For some, the reporting is required just

before joining a lane and on the VHF.

For others, it may be required a couple of days before

entry into the TSS and through the email.

For example, using Dover Strait require all the vessel

over 300 GRT to do mandatory reporting.

Singapore and Malacca Strait is another TSS that have

the mandatory reporting requirements.

There are tons of resources seafarers can refer while

planning the passage that requires using TSS.

 For Dover Strait, there is BA chart 5052.

For Malacca Strait, there are a couple of resources that

seafarer must refer. Resources like

 Admiralty Charts, 5502-Mariners’ Routeing Guide

Malacca & Singapore Straits

 Passage Planning Guide – Malacca and Singapore Straits

(by Witherby Publishing Group)

And then there is this brief guide by BIMCO for safe

transit through the Strait of Malacca and Singapore.

It is unfortunate that there have been many cases

where this mandatory reporting is either missed out or

VHF volume is too low to hear the calls made by the

VTS monitoring the TSS.

5. Not acting Proactively in TSS

If you ask me to name one quality that seafarers should

develop in themselves, I would choose proactiveness

with all the force I can.

While a navigator needs to be proactive in every aspect

of navigation, navigating in TSS is particularly the area

where this trait is very useful.

Let us see it with examples.

Do you see anything wrong with this courses in the

Singapore TSS?
While there is nothing wrong with the course per se but

I know the OOW (or master) of this vessel may have a

tough time crossing this area.

How do I know?

There would be a lot of traffic leaving the anchorage

area and joining the opposite traffic lane.

With this course, we are creating a situation where

some of this traffic might be crossing our bow.

This would be apart from the usual traffic that will be

crossing the TSS for picking up the pilot.

A similar case is when you have to cross the Singapore

TSS for picking up the pilot. If you plan your course like

this, you are inviting troubles in crossing the TSS.

Why?

Because you will find it hard to alter your course to

cross the TSS because of usual traffic in the TSS.

Then, what if we plan our course like this?
Surely, we are avoiding a lot of cross traffic this way.
All I am trying to say is that we need to be proactive in

planning our passage in the TSS.

6. Not keeping the vessel TSS ready

Your company’s SMS manuals may or may not

specifically mention this. But there are certain rules in

navigating a vessel in the TSS, especially a congested

TSS areas.

These rules are

 Keeping an extra A/E (generator) running, and

 Proceeding at a safe speed

Why? Let me explain.

Keeping an extra A/E (generator) running

When the ship is navigating in the TSS, there are a hell

lot of vessels around own vessel at a comparatively

shorter distance.

I agree that most of these vessels are on a parallel

course to the own vessel.

But should anything goes wrong with any one vessel,

we may be in need to alter our course quickly. This may

require us to use the rudder hard over.

If the extra A/E is not running, the vessel may

experience black out just when it requires the power

most.

Proceeding at a safe speed

Sudden alteration of course may be required in the TSS

but sometimes that is not the most effective action in

the TSS. This may be because of dense traffic around,

the width of the TSS or wrecks and other dangers

around.

This will be the time when reducing (and sometimes

increasing) the speed may be the most effective action.

But what if you are proceeding at the sea speed and

need to give notice to the engine room (say 30 minutes

notice) for reducing the speed?

In the open sea, alteration of course may be the best

way to avoid the collision. But in TSS, it may sometimes

be the reduction in speed.

Proceeding at full sea speed in the TSS will not be

the safe speed.

7. Misunderstanding the Rule no 10

 I hear a lot of questions on TSS situations. Questions

like

 A vessel crossing own vessel from starboard (or port)

side in TSS with the risk of collision. Who is give way

vessel and what action we need to take?

 A fishing vessel crossing own vessel in TSS. Who is give

way vessel?

 A NUC vessel overtaking own vessel in TSS. Who is the

give way vessel?

And hundreds of similar situations. Sometimes we fail to

gather that all these situations can be covered under a

single answer.

And the answer to all these questions is…

a traffic separation lane does not give any right of way

to any vessel over any other vessels

This means that you should treat all TSS situations as if

the same situation was in the open sea.

So action in case of crossing situation in TSS will be

same as a crossing situation outside TSS.

Similarly, the action for the overtaking situation in TSS

will be same as any overtaking situation outside TSS.

I might sound a bit repetitive here but I would still say it

again.

a traffic separation lane does not give any right of way

to any vessel over any other vessels

8. Not following general traffic flow

Again, this is the mistake I see too often. We plan the

passage in the TSS that is not following the general

traffic flow.

Want to know what I am talking about here?

We all know why this is done purposely.

To avoid one extra line or course.

But we must understand that this is wrong and not as

per rule 10 which states that

A vessel using a traffic separation scheme shall proceed

in the appropriate traffic lane in the general direction of

traffic flow for that lane

It may take us a couple of more lines to draw, but

ideally, we must bend our courses parallel to the TSS.

Like this, for Strait of Hormuz.

Conclusion

I said it in the beginning and I would say it again. TSS

makes the navigation much easier.

But that is only if we use the TSS in a way that not only

avoids troubles to us but to other vessels in the

TSS too.

We have discussed the 8 simple mistakes that navigator

make while using TSS.

Avoiding these mistakes can save much of these

troubles in the TSS.