Enhancing Ship Route Planning Skills Through Integrated Weather Routing Training for Nautical Cadets

Abstract

Contemporary maritime operations demand sophisticated weather routing competencies that integrate meteorological analysis, regulatory compliance, and multi-criteria optimization through specialized navigation technologies. This quasi-experimental study develops and evaluates an integrated weather-routing training module designed to enhance nautical cadets' voyage planning capabilities. Employing a pre-test/post-test design with control group comparison, the research examines training effectiveness among nautical cadets and junior officers (n=70) across Indonesian maritime academies. The sixteen-hour intervention incorporates ECDIS and routing software instruction, authentic Malacca Strait passage planning scenarios using real meteorological datasets, traffic separation scheme navigation, and COLREGs compliance in congested waters. Industry practitioners, including masters, pilots, and fleet operations managers (n=33), validated the training's relevance and assessed the authenticity of competency development. Results demonstrate significant improvements in route quality scores (38% increase), situational awareness (42% enhancement), and decision-making efficiency (35% advancement) compared to the control group receiving the traditional curriculum. Industry practitioners rated experimental group performance (8.3/10) as approaching operational preparedness requirements, substantially exceeding typical graduate capabilities (5.1/10). Findings confirm that structured weather routing education effectively bridges competency gaps between academic preparation and operational demands, supporting maritime safety enhancement and professional development.