Great Circle Sailing

Great Circle ??
• Plane passes thru centre of
Earth
• Largest circle on surface
• Divides earth to 2 equal
halves
• Only 1 GC between any 2
pts (except when at
opposite ends of a dia.)
•Shorter arc of GC is the
shortest dist. between
2 pts .
•A GC has 2 poles at 90°
from GC
 Great Circle Sailing ??
• A GC track is shortest dist between 2 pts.
• Not always the best choice…..Why?
• A GC course is part of a circle, & requires
constant Co. alteration.
• GC course on a Merc. chart appears as a curve.
• For short distances, diff between GC & Rhumb
line tracks is very small.
• Diff between GC & Rhumb line is small for
courses which have a large Nth-Sth component.
• A GC course takes you into higher latitudes &
bad weather.
GC track from A Rhumbline Track
to B (thru C & D) from A to B
(thru E & F)
GC Track & Rhumbline Track on a
Mercator Chart
 Vertex ??
Point on a GC track closest to pole (Max Lat).
 Vertex ??
A GC has 2 vertices, one in each hemisphere, 180°
apart.
D’Long between Equator crossing & Vertex is 90°.
GC direction at Vertex is exactly E or W.
Important to know the vertex:
To avoid going into high latitude.

How to work out if V is

to the E or W of starting
Pt ??
 How to work out if V is to the E or W of starting Pt ??

If A & B are in same hemisphere

: V lies in same Hemisphere.
If A & B are in Diff Hemispheres,
V lies in Hemisphere of higher
Latitude.
If initial and final courses are in
DIFF quadrants, V lies between
A&B
If they are in SAME quadrants, V
lies outside AB.
 How to work out if V is to the E or W of starting Pt ??

If initial & final courses are in DIFF quadrants, V lies between A &
B

If initial & final courses are in SAME quadrants, V lies outside

AB.
Spherical Trigonometry
Refresher ?