Mercator Sailing
Mercator Sailing
Problem: A vessel from Manila Latitude 14°34’N Longitude 120°57’E sailed on course
254° a distance of 1,500 miles. Find the Latitude in and Longitude of arrival.
Solution:
254° Cos c
= DLat
- 180°
Dist
74° (S74°W) DLat
= Cos C Dist
Example: A vessel from Latitude 2°30’N Longitude 65°22’W sailed on course 111° a
total distance of 305° miles. Require the Latitude and Longitude of arrival.
Solution:
180° Table 3: D I
- 111° 300 107.5
69° (S69°E) 5 1.792
305 109.292
m DLo
100.0 260.5 Long fr 65°22.0’W
8.0 20.841 DLo 4°42.9’E
0.6 1.5631
_____ ________ __________
108.6 282.9041 (60) Long in 60°39.1’W
DLo = 4° 45.9’E
CURRENT SAILING
CURRENT is a body of water moving steadily in a horizontal direction. It tends to carry any
floating object within at the same speed and direction it is flowing.
CURRENT DRIFT – is the speed of current in knots; or the number of miles it covers within
time interval.
DISTANCE MADE GOOD (DMG) any distance measured along made good.
COURSE MADE GOOD (CMD) actual course followed by a ship when affected by current.
SPEED MADE GOOD (SMG) is the actual speed with the effect of current.
Example: A vessel is steering a course of 310° Psc, speed 12 knots is affected by current set
of 015° and a drift of 4 knots. Variation 5°E. Deviation of 1°W. Required (1) Plot
the CMG of the vessel after 1 hour (2) Find the speed made good (SMG). Use scale
½ cm = 1 knot or 1 mile.
Procedure:
1. Draw the true course steered and plot the DR every hour or per minute interval.
2. At the end of measure distance, plot current set and drift for the same time interval.
3. Connect point of departure and end of current drift with a line. This is the course
made good.
Solution:
Co 310° psc
Te 4° psc
TC 314°
Example 3: Captain desires to make good a course of 265° and speed of 15 knots through
current having set of 185° and drift 3 knots. Required course to steer and
speed to use.
Answer: At 1300H a ship is 100 miles due west of her desired destination. If the ship is to
arrive at her destination 1800 H. Find the course and speed to order if a 2 knot
current setting southeast is predicted.
Answers: (1) 5,963 miles (2) N65°46’W or 294°.2 (3) S47°43’W or 227.7°
(4) 43°49’N 159°21’W (5) To be solve if time permits.
COMPOSITE SAILING
COMPOSITE SAILING is a combination of a great circle sailing and parallel sailing which
is used when it is desired to limit the highest latitude.
Example: A vessel sails from Latitudes 34°49’S Longitude 20°10’E to a point of Latitude
35°52’S
Longitude 174°25’E. Using the Latitude of 54° S as limiting parallel, find the
initial and final course and the composite distance.
90°
- 54°
36° = CP . or BP.
P + P² 17° 57.8’
DLo 154° 15’E
P + P² 117°57.8’
DLo
Example 1: A ship proceeding from Manila to Los Angeles. The Captain wishes to use
Great circle sailing from Latitude 12° 45.2’N Longitude 124° 20.1’E to
Latitude 33° 48.8’N120° 07.1’W. Find (1) Initial and great circle course
(2) Great circle distance (3) Latitude and Longitude of the vertex.
Solution:
Long fr 124°20.1’E
Long in 120°07.1’W
__________
244°27.2’
360°
___________
P (DLo) 115°32.8’E
90°
L1 12°45.2’N
___________
PA 77°14.8’
90°
L2 33°48.8’N
___________
PB 56°11.2’
(PA PB) 21°03.6’
The sun,moon,stars and planets are outlined against the sky and
Appears to be moving slowly across it. Its appearance is that of
A vast hallow sphere with the earth as center and with various
Celestial bodies located on inner surface of the sphere.
Illustration:
CELESTIAL MERIDIAN - is a great circle of the celestial sphere which passes through
celestial pole, the plane of which passes through a particular
point on the surface of the earth. This is divided into two equal
parts or branches ,the UPPER and LOWER branch .The upper
branch is that which passes through a point directly overhead or
that which contains the zenith. The other half which contains
the Nadir is the lower branch.
HOUR CIRCLE - is the similar to a great circle of the celestial sphere which passes
through the poles and a heavenly body which is considered to
rotate with the body.
ECLIPTIC - the earth makes a complete revolution around the sun once each
Year. But the sun as observed on the earth appears to revolve
around the earth instead. The apparent path of the sun on the
celestial sphere is called the ecliptic.
VERNAL EQUINOX - this is sometimes called the FIRST OF ARIES (Y), the point where
the sun in its apparent annual journey crosses the equinoctial when
moving from south to north declination on or about March 21st.
( See also Equinoxes…)
AUTUMINAL EQUINOX - that point of intersection of the ecliptic and the celestial equator
occupied by the sun as it changes from north to south declination,
on or about September 23, or the instant this occurs.
DECLINATION (decl.) - is the angular distance of the body north or south of the equinoctial
This correspond to the latitude of a point on the earth’s surface.
POLAR DISTANCE - of a body is its angular distance from the elevated pole measured
along the hour circle of the body ( in degrees, minutes, and seconds).
If declination of the body is same as the elevated pole, Polar
Distance is equal to 90° minus declination (PX=09° - decl.)Contrary
name, Polar Distance equals 90° plus declination or expressed as
PX=90° + decl.
GREENWICH HOUR ANGLE (GHA) – the angle between the plane of the meridian of
Greenwich and the plane of the circle that is passing through a body.
It is measured from 0° - 360° or from 00h-24h westward. It may also
be defined as local hour angle measured from the celestial meridian
of Greenwich.
LOCAL HOUR ANGLE (LHA) – for a given place is the angle at the celestial pole between
the meridian of the place and the hour circle of the body, measured
westward from the meridian 0-360 degrees or 00h-24h to the hour
circle passing through the body.
MERIDIAN ANGLE (t) – the angle at the celestial pole between the meridian of the place
and the hour circle of the body measured EASTWARD or
WESTWARD from the meridian 0-180 degrees or 00h-12h if
the body is East or West of the meridian.
RIGHT ASCENSION (R.A.) – is the angle at the celestial pole between the hour circle of the
vernal equinox and the hour circle of the body measured
EASTWARD from 0-360 degrees or 00h-24h.
SIDEREDIAL HOUR ANGLE (SHA) – is an angular measurement from the hour circle of
the vernal equinox westward to the hour circle of the body 0-360
degrees or 00h-24h. SHA= 360° 0 RA
GHA = GHA Aries +SHA Star (If the sum exceeds 360 degrees,
GHA is found by subtracting 360 degrees).
Illustration
TIME
TIME is a definite period of duration, or and elapsed interval. It is measured by the apparent
movement of celestial bodies around the earth.
GREENWICH MEAN TIME (GMT) is the local mean time at Greenwich meridian and is of
particular interest to a navigator because it is the principal time used in entering arguments
for the almanacs.
ZONE TIME the local mean time reference or zone meridian whose time is kept throughout
a designed zone.
ZONE DESCRIPTION (ZD) is found by mentally dividing the ship’s longitude by 15 (15° of
longitude equals 1 hour) to the nearest whole number. If the remainder is 7°30’ or more add
1 to the ZD then indicate it with the plus or minus sign as appropriate.
Examples Problems: Find the zone description of the time used by the ship in each of the
following longitudes:
Exercises:
1. The ship is in Longitude 60°W. The zone time is 2200hr. August 7. Find the GMT
and date. Similarly what will be the ZT at Longitude 60°E?
Ans. GMT is 0200H Aug. 8; ZT 0600h Aug at Long 60°E
3. At longitude 74°30W the ZT is 21H 15m 40s April 14. Required GMT and date, also
ZT and date Longitude 108°20’W.
Ans. GMT = 02h 15m 40s Apr 15; ZT= 19h 15m 40s Apr,14.
4. On Sept. 30 a ship is on DR Longitude 50°30’W zone time 1500H. 10 hours later the
DR Longitude is 54°29.5’W. Find the ZT and date at the second Longitude
Ans. ZT = 0000H October 1.
Note the crossing the L 180th Meridian (INTERNATIONAL DATE LINE) sailing
EASTWARD, subtract one day. Sailing WESTWARD, add one day to the date.