A navigational audit examines the way a ship is navigated and the system behind it. Companies request one after a grounding or near miss, when a fleet shows repeated navigation findings in inspections, or as routine assurance. Charterers and insurers may also ask for it on vessels trading in restricted or congested waters.
The auditor is normally a master mariner who observes the bridge in operation, either by sailing for a passage or by attending in port and at pilot stations. The main references are SOLAS Chapter V on safety of navigation, the collision-avoidance rules known as the COLREGs, the STCW provisions on watchkeeping, and the company's procedures under the ISM Code. For ships with electronic charts, the audit tests the ECDIS in use: whether the officers hold the required generic and type-specific training, whether chart updates are current, how safety contours and alarms are set, and whether the paper backup or approved alternative is workable.
Passage planning is a central item: appraisal, planning, execution and monitoring, with reasons for the track chosen, under-keel clearance, no-go areas, parallel indexing and contingency points. The auditor then checks that the plan is followed. Lookout, use of radar and AIS, speed in restricted visibility, handling of the pilot and the bridge team's willingness to challenge the master are all observed. Voyage data recorder performance tests, compass error records, and the bridge navigational watch alarm system are reviewed.
When selecting an auditor, ask about their sea service, what experience they have with your ECDIS model, and whether the audit will cover a live passage or only a harbour visit. Each yields different evidence.
The report includes observations about people and equipment, ranked recommendations, notes on training needs, and examples to use in company bridge team training.
Common findings are alarm settings reduced to avoid nuisance alerts, plans that do not mention hazards on the route, and nonuse of a dedicated lookout.
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