J_,pADLINE ZONE CALCULATIONS

A vessel must not be overloaded at any stage of the voyage. A vessel can however make
allowance for any fuel or water consumed on passage so that when she enters a new loadline
zone mid voyage she is at her maximum allowable draught on entry. Another option is to
delay your entry into the zone until sufficient fuel has been consumed.

Consider a vessel, eastbound between two ports in the N. hemisphere that is to sail the
shortest permissible route. The port of departure is in the Summer zone and so the vessel has
loaded to her Summer loadline, so as to maximise her cargo. The great circle route will take
the vessel into the Winter zone, but the vessel must consume enough fuel and stores to change
the draught to her Winter loadline before she can enter the Winter zone.

There are 3 possibilities:

• A Great Circle Sailing, if the fuel is consumed before the Winter Zone is reached.
• A Great Circle Sailing to a point as far North and East as possible, so that the fuel is
consumed before entering the Winter Zone, then another Great Circle Sailing from that
position to the destination.
• A Composite Great Circle to the Winter Zone, a Parallel Sailing along the edge of the
Winter Zone until the fuel is consumed and then a Great Circle Sailing from that position
to the destination.

It has been stated that in any 'Fuel Burner' question the student can assume that it will not be
possible to simply undertake a great circle route. i.e. the fuel and stores will not be consumed
sufficiently before entering the limiting zone. Thus, only options 2 and 3 need to be
considered.
It is easiest to consider option 3 first.
EXAMPLES

1.
A vessel is to proceed from 25° 25'N 122° 05'E to 35° OO'N 120° 45'W and is to sail the
shortest permissible route.
The vessel is to sail from a Summer Zone and will enter the Winter Zone at 35° OO'N.
On commencement of the passage the vessel will be loaded to her Summer marks and will
need to consume 285 tonnes of fuel before she can enter the Winter Zone. The daily fuel
consumption is 27 tonnes per day at service speed 15.5 knots.
Determine the required voyage and the total distance to steam.

2.
A vessel is to sail the shortest permissible route from Yokohama, Japan, to San Francisco,
California, U.S.A.
Departure waypoint 34° 48'N 139° 50'E.
Arrival waypoint 37° 30'N 123° 15'W.
The Charter Party requires the vessel to load the maximum cargo to her Summer marks.
The Winter loadline zone commences at 45° OO'N.
The vessel must change her draught by 15cm prior to entering the Winter zone.
T.P.C. at Summer draught 10.
Fuel, stores and water consumed at 25 t.p.d.
Service speed 13.0kts.
E.T.D. Yokohama 1600hrs 22nd March, Standard Time.
Determine the required voyage, the total distance to steam and the ET A, Local Time, at San
Francisco.
QUESTIONS

1. A vessel is to sail, using the shortest permissible route, from the Gulf of Mexico to the
Mediterranean. The vessel will be loaded to her Summer marks on departure and 160t of
consumables must be used before the vessel can enter'the Winter zone at latitude 36°N.
The vessel consumes 26 t.p.d. at service speed 15.7kts.
Departure waypoint: 30°00'N 70° 40'W.
Landfall waypoint: 35° 54'N 6° 17'W.
Determine the required voyage and the total distance.

2. A vessel is to sail, using the shortest permissible route, from Taiwan to Mexico.
The vessel must consume l 90t of fuel, stores and water before entering the Winter
loadline zone at latitude 36°N. The vessel consumes 40 t.p.d. at speed 21.0kts.
Departurewaypoint: 25° 15'N 121° 50'E.
Landfall waypoint: 22° 45'N 110° OO'W.
Determine the required voyage and the total distance.

3. A vessel is to sail, using the shortest permissible route, from Thursday Island,
Queensland, Australia, to Coquimbo, Chile.
Departure waypoint: 10° 35'S 142° 13 'E.
Landfall waypoint: 29° 47'S 71° 21 'W.
Estimated time departure IOOOhrs S.T. 10th April.
Required change of draught prior to entering the Winter zone, at latitude 33°S, is 350mm.
TPC 12.
Consumption of fuel, water and stores is 28 t.p.d. at service speed 14.8kts.
Determine the required voyage, the total distance and the ETA Coquimbo, Standard Time.

4. A vessel is to sail the shortest permissible route, from Geraldton, Australia, to Durban,
Africa.
Departure waypoint: 28° 12'S 114° 30'E.
Landfall waypoint: 30°00'S 31° 40'E.
The northern latitude of the Winter zone is 33°S.
The vessel must consume 102t of fuel, water and stores. At speed of 12.0 knots the
consumption rate is 18 t.p.d.
Determine the required voyage and the total distance.

5. A vessel is to sail, using the shortest permissible route, from Mazatlan, Mexico, to
Keelung, Taiwan.
Departure waypoint: 22° 45'N 110° OO'W.
Landfall waypoint: 25° 15'N 121° 50'E.
Estimated time departure IOOOhrs S.T. 10th February.
The vessel consumes 28.5 t.p.d. of fuel at service speed 15.0kts and must consume 320t
prior to entering the Winter zone at 36°N
Determine the required voyage, the total distance and the ETA Keelung, Standard Time.

Answers
1 CGC to 36° OO'N 33° 17'W, Parallel to 36° OO'N 24° 43'W, GC to destination, 3213 mls
2 GC to 36° OO'N 166° 56'E, GC to destination, 6684 mls
3 CGC to 33°00'S 144° 30'W, Parallel to 33° OO'S 122° 26'W, GC to destination,
7926mls, ETA 0400hrs I 2nd May.
4 GC to 33° OO'S 83° 16'E, GC to destination, 4252 mls
5 CGC to 36° OO'N 164° 45'W, Parallel to 36° OO'N 172° 23 'E, GC to destination,
6700 mls, ETA l 500hrs I 1st March
 GREAT CIRCLE SAILING- DISTANCE OFF AN ISLAND

A vessel on a great circle passage may need to calculate the Longitude that the planned track
will cross a certain Latitude, or the Latitude that the planned track will cross a certain
Longitude. An example would be if it was required to calculate how far North I South or
East I West the vessel would pass an island.
The vertex of the great circle is first calculated so that Napiers' Rules can be used to find the
required information.

EXAMPLE 1
A vessel on a great circle from 30° OO'N 15° OO'E to 40° OO'N 85° OO 'E is to pass an island,
charted position 36° OO'N 29° OO'E.
Find:
a) The distance North or South the vessel will pass the island.
b) The distance East or West the vessel will pass the island.

Method:
1. Find the initial course (ABC problem);
2. Find the position of the vertex (Napier's problem);
3. Find the latitude that the great circle track cuts the island's longitude (Napier's problem);
4. Using the d'lat between the track and the island find the distance and direction (Meridian
Sailing);
5. Find the longitude that the great circle track cuts the island's latitude (Napier's problem);
6. Using the d'long between the track and the island find the distance and direction (Parallel
Sailing).

EXAMPLE2
A vessel on a great circle from 40° 15'S 152° 20 'W to 36° 45'S 112° 40'E is to pass an
island, charted position 47° 27'S 140° 55'E.
Find:
a) The distance North or South the vessel will pass the island.
b) The distance East or West the vessel will pass the island.
Questions

1. A vessel on a great circle from 38° OO'N 10° OO'E to 50° OO'N 80° OO'E is to pass an
island, charted position 48° OO'N 35° ·oO'E.
Find:
a) The distance North or South the vessel will pass the island.
b) The distance East or West the vessel will pass the island.

2. A vessel is on passage from Adelaide, Australia, to Durban, Africa. A great circle is to

be sailed from waypoint 35° 15'S 136° lO'E to waypoint 30° IO'S 31° 15'E.
An iceberg is reported in position 47° OS'S 98° 15'E
Find:
a) The great circle distance;
b) The great circle initial course;
c) The great circle final course;
d) The position of the vertex;
e) The distance that the vessel will pass to the north or south of the iceberg.

3. A vessel bound from Yokohama, Japan, to Seattle, U.S.A. is to sail a great circle from
waypoint 34° 48'N 139° 50'E to waypoint 48° 18'N 124° 40'W
The vessel will pass Kuril Island, 47° 30'N 156° 40'E, and Jessop Isle, 51° 50'N 140° 15'W.
Find:
a) The great circle distance;
b) The great circle initial course;
c) The great circle final course;
d) The position of the vertex;
e) The distance that the vessel will pass to the east or west of Kuril Island;
f) The distance that the vessel will pass to the north or south of Jessop Isle.

Answers
1 20' to North, 54' to West.
2 5027', 237°T, 307°T, 46° 40'S 87° 59'E, 53' to North.
3 4083', 046°T, 118°T, 54° OTN 160° 21'W,207' to East, 33' to North.