Great Circle Sailing

Part 2
GC track from A Rhumbline Track
to B (thru C & D) from A to B
(thru E & F)
GC Track & Rhumbline
Practical GC Sailing
• Not practical to follow an exact GC track due to
constant Co. alteration.
• A series of WPts are selected along GC track &
vessel steers rhumb line courses between WPts.
• This approximate the GC track.
• WPts are obtained by calculation or from gnomonic
charts.
 Approximate GC Track

GC Track
---- Rhumbline

Mercator Chart

Gnomonic Chart
Gnomonic Projection
Points are projected geometrically from centre of earth to a plane
tangent to earth surface.

• All meridians shown as straight lines, converging towards pole

• All parallels of Lats are curved

Gnomonic Charts : 15 charts covering oceans

GC Track & Rhumbline
Gnomonic
Mercator
Composite Great Circle Sailing ??
• To avoid going to very high Lats. (Also land etc.)

• Select the highest Lat you wish to reach &

follow a GC route up to this limiting Lat
reaching it at its vertex.
• Once reached, sail along parallel of Lat up to
Vertex of GC track leading to destination.