Passage planning in SE Asia

Southeast Asia Pilot – October 2025

The Art of Passage Planning in Southeast Asia

Passage planning is more than plotting lines on a chart – it is the seamanship backbone of every safe and enjoyable cruise. In Southeast Asia, with its seasonal monsoons, tidal currents, busy shipping lanes and countless reefs, careful preparation is even more important.

Planning must take in local conditions

Yachts heading out from Phuket toward the Similan Islands, for instance, must plan around park entry rules, mooring availability and safe return windows. Those venturing across to Indonesia face longer passages, where fuel stops, visa requirements and weather routing all come into play.

Modern tools

Modern tools such as Navionics (see footnote) and PredictWind have made planning easier than ever. However, nothing replaces the skipper’s judgement – and a printed pilot book at the chart table.

The fundamentals

Whether you are plotting a two-hour hop or a two-week voyage, the fundamentals remain: check the charts, know the tides, read the weather and always have a Plan B – as well as a copy of Southeast Asia Pilot!

Footnote: Navionics histrionics

In July 2025 Garmin announced they were discontinuing their Southeast Asia charts – to be replaced by new charts sometime in Q3 2025. They have now moved that target to Q4. In the meantime, they pulled the ‘old’ charts as soon as subscriptions expired. Customers had no opportunity to renew. Apparently without a thought for the consequences, they left countless boaters without digital charts in the middle of their voyage. They deleted downloaded charts from devices without notice.

At the moment, there doesn’t seem to be a viable alternative to Navionics with good coverage in Southeast Asia. If apps such as Savvy-Navvy were to up their game in the area, it’s unlikely Navionics would find many takers when they eventually release their new chart optons.

For owners, charterers and captains cruising this region, Southeast Asia Pilot remains the definitive cruising guide. It details 600+ anchorages with shoreside tips and other useful insights across nine countries, from the Andaman Sea to the Spice Islands – with introductory notes on several more. Available now in print and digital editions.

⇒ ⇒ ⇒ Buy Southeast Asia Pilot

Southeast Asia Pilot and Phuket Publicity Services do their best to ensure that the information on this website is accurate. However, good seamanship demands that seafarers check critical information carefully with relevant sources to ensure it is up to date.Facebook