Passage planning or voyage planning is a procedure to develop a complete description of a vessel's voyage to safely navigate from start to finish. The plan includes leaving the dock and harbour area, the en route portion of a voyage, approaching the destination, and mooring, the industry term for this is 'berth to berth'. Passage plans are important for the safety of a vessel as it requires the correct assessment and establishment of safety settings. They ensure that vital navigation information is readily available, expectations for crew and those ashore are known, and minimize the likelihood of accidents. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) Resolution A.893(21) emphasizes the importance of meticulous voyage planning for ensuring safety at sea. It outlines a structured approach to creating a comprehensive voyage plan that covers all aspects of a vessel's passage, from departure to arrival. Recommended by SOLAS the four stages of planning are Appraisal, Planning, Execution and Monitoring logically follow each other. An appraisal of all information available must be made before detailed plans can be drawn up and a plan must be in existence before tactics for its execution can be decided upon. Once the plan and the manner in which it is to be executed have been decided, monitoring must be carried out to ensure that the plan is followed.