Professional Documents
Culture Documents
By A.W.Strannigan
Great Circles
The shortest distance between 2 points is a Great Circle
Route.
A Great Circle route will require a vessel to continuously
alter course and it will take vessels into higher latitudes.
A/C
A/C
A/C
A/C
Great Circle Pole
D’Long
Function
of Final
Course
Initial B
Course
Destination Point
•V = Vertex Maximum Latitude
•Ship’s Course 090°(T) or 270° (T)
A Departure Point
Great Circle Course & Distance
Calculations
A Great Circle problem is resolved by spherical trig
calculations
For a Vessel sailing from position A to position B
Distance =>
Cosine Distance =D’Long AB x Cos Lat A x Cos Lat
B (+ or –) Sine Lat A x Sine Lat B
If Latitude A & B are the same name +
If Latitude A & B different names -
Great Circle Calculations
Courses =>
Courses are calculated using the Sine formula
Sine a/Sine A = Sine b/Sine B = Sine c/Sine C
B
b
Destination
c
A
Departure Point
Example 1
D’Long = 25° 35’E
74° 00’W
99° 35’W
0° (Prime
Meridian)
Westerly
Course
Example 1 Distance
Cos Dist = Cos D’Long. Cos Lat A. Cos Lat B (+ or -) Sine Lat A. Sine Lat B
=> Cos 99° 35. Cos 38° 42. Cos 40° 43. + Sine 38°42. Sine 40° 43
=> -0.09848 + 0.40786
=> 0.30938
=> 4318.7
GC Sailing :- Finding Initial & Final
Course ABC Method
The A<B<C method, adapts Celestial
Navigation Formula, for use in terrestial
Navigation problems
Information can be found in Nautical Tables
such as Norries, or calculated using Spherical
Trigonometry
ABC are the Names Given to components
which we use to find the angles we require
Example 1 Course
ABC
A = Tan Lat A/Tan D’Long
( Always named opposite to Latitude, except
when d’long angle is between 90° and 270°)
B = Tan Lat B/Sine D’Long
(Always named the same as the Latitude)
C = the summation of A & B
Tan Az = 1/C x Cos Lat A
Example 1 Great Circle Course
Tan 38° 42’/Tan 99° 35’ = 0.135 N
Tan 40° 43’/Sine 99°35’ = 0.873 N
C = 1.008
Tan Az = 1/1.008 x Cos 38° 42’
= 51.8
=N51.8 W
=> Initial Course = 308.2°(T)
Example 2
A vessel is to sail from Lat 41°06’S Long142°
18’E to Lat 46°43’ S Long 108°07’W ship
speed 14kts
Calculate Great Circle Distance, Initial Course
& Final Course and Steaming Time
Example 2
i. Cos Dist = Cos D’Long. Cos Lat A. Cos Lat B (+ or -) Sine Lat A. Sine Lat B
ii. Calculate D’Long
=>180° 180°
142° 18’ E 108° 07’W
37° 42’ 71° 53’
=> 109° 35’E
p
B
b 46°43’ S
a 108°07’W
P
Example 2 GC Distance
Cos Dist = Cos D’Long. Cos Lat A. Cos Lat B (+ or -) Sine Lat A. Sine Lat B
= Cos 41° 06’. Cos 46°43’. Cos 109° 35’ + Sine 41° 06’ Sine 46°43’
= -0.17317 + 0.47855
= 0.30538
= 72.22
Distance = 4333.1
p
B
b 46°43’ S
a 108°07’W
P
Example 2 Initial Course
ABC
A= Tan Lat A/Tan D’Long
= Tan 41° 06’/Tan 109° 35’
= 0.31035 S
B = Tan Lat B/Sine D’Long
= Tan 46° 43’/ Sine 109° 35’
= 1.1270 S
C = 1.43735 S
Tan Az = 1/C x Cos Lat
= 1/ 1.43735 x Cos 41° 06’
= S 42.7 E
Initial Course = 137.3° (T)
Example 2 Final Course
ABC
A= Tan Lat B/Tan D’Long
= Tan 46° 43’/Tan 109° 35’
= 0.37774 S
B = Tan Lat A/Sine D’Long
= Tan 41° 06’/ Sine 109° 35’
= 0.92591 S
C = 1.30365 S
Tan Az = 1/C x Cos Lat
= 1/ 1.30365 x Cos 46° 43’
= S 48.2° W (Reverse)
= N 48.2° E
Final Course = 048.2° (T)
Example 2 Steaming Time
GC Distance = 4333.1
Vessels Speed = 14kts
Time = distance / speed
= 4333.1/14
Steaming Time = 309.507 Hours
= 12days 21 hours 30 minutes
Example 3
Posn A Lat 18° 30’S 028° 00’W
Posn B Lat 32° 30’N 048° 00’E
Calculate
the Great Circle Distance from A to B
The Initial Course
The Final Course
Example 3 Answer Distance
D’Long => 28° 00’W P
A
Lat 18° 30’S 028° 00’W
Cos Dist = Cos D’Long. Cos Lat A. Cos Lat B (+ or -) Sine Lat A. Sine Lat B
= Cos 76°. Cos 18° 30’. Cos 32°30’N - Sine 18° 30’ Sine 32°30
= 5321’
Example 3 Initial Course
A = Tan Lat A/ Tan D’Long
= 0.08342 N
B = Tan Lat B/ Sine D’Long
= 0.65657 N
C = 0.73999
=> 1/ 0.73999 x Cos 18° 30’ = N 55°E
=> 055°(T)
Example 3 Final Course
A = Tan Lat B/ Tan D’Long
= 0.15884 S
B = Tan Lat A/ Sine D’Long
= 0.34484 S
C = 0.50368
=> 1/ 0.50368 x Cos 32° 30’ = S 67°W
=> Reverse = N 67 E
=> 067°(T)
Example 4
Posn A Lat 5° 30’N 165° 30’W
Posn B Lat 52° 30’S 135° 00’E
Calculate
The Mercator Distance from A to B
The Great Circle Distance from A to B
The Initial Course
The Final Course
Example 4 Mercator Distance
Tan Co = D’Long/DMP
Tan Co = 59° 30’ 00’/4023.9
Cos Co = D’Lat/Distance
Distance = D’Lat/ Cos Co = 3570/4023.9
= 0.88719
D’Long => 165° 30’W = 41.6°
=> 135° 00’E
=>59° 30’ 00’W Distance = 58°/ Cos 41.6°
B
52° 30’S 135° 00’E
P
Cos Dist = Cos D’Long. Cos Lat A. Cos Lat B (+ or -) Sine Lat A. Sine Lat B
= Cos 5° 30’. Cos 52° 30’. Cos 59°30’ - Sine 5° 30’ Sine 52°30
= 4597’
Example 4 Initial Course
A = Tan Lat A/ Tan D’Long
= 0.0567 S
B = Tan Lat B/ Sine D’Long
= 1.152 S
C = 1.5687
=> 1/ 1.5687 x Cos 5° 30’ = S 32.6°W
=> 212.6°(T)
Example 4 Final Course
A = Tan Lat B/ Tan D’Long
= 0.76766 N
B = Tan Lat A/ Sine D’Long
= 0.11175 N
C = 0.87941
=> 1/ 0.87941 x Cos 52° 30’ = N 61.8°E
=> Reverse = S 61.8 W
=> 241.8°(T)
Composite Great Circles
Great Circle routes may take the ship into higher Latitudes
There are number of reasons why a vessel may not want to
reach the higher latitudes to be found on trans Ocean great
circle tracks.
Loadline regulations
Dangerous ice
Bad weather
Limits of crew agreement
Navigation aids become unreliable
Insurance purposes
Cargo Considerations
Daylight restrictions for deck maintenance
Charter impose restrictions
Land or Islands on the route
Composite Great Circles
Therefore a composite great circle may be required
The composition being that of Great Circle routes and
Parralel Sailing Route P
P
V
V
GC2 GC1
B
A
Composite Great Circle
A Composite Great Circle is resolved by Napier Rules
Example A ship is to Sail from Durban 30° 00’S 31° 00’E
to Melbourne 39° 00’S 144° 00’E. Charter party
instructions require the ship not to pass the 43° Parallel of
Latitude. Ship speed 12kts.
Calculate:
Longitude when the ship arrives at the limiting latitude
Initial Course
Total Distance
Longitude when the ship leaves the limiting latitude
Steaming time
Napier’s Rules
Napiers rules can be applied to any spherical triangle
where there is either a 90° side or a 90° angle.
THE RULE STATES THE FOLLOWING
Sin of the middle Part = Product of the Cosines of the opposite parts
Sin of the Middle Part = Product of the tangents of the adjacent Parts
(The parts are simply the other sides and angles within the triangle)
To use Napier’s rules we need to know at least two parts of the
triangle, other than the 90° angle.
Composite GC
Draw GC Route
39° 00’S
43° 144° 00’E
Right Angled Spherical Triangle
This triangle has
amounts to 6 Parts 30° 00’S 31° 00’E
A
3 angles <p <a < v
3 sides PA, AV & PV
To utilise Napier’s 43°
Rules we must
construct Napiers
wheel
Napier’s Wheel
What do we know?
V
V= 90°
PA = Co Lat A 30° P00’S 31° 00’E
PV = Limiting lat
AV PV
43°
90°-<A 90°- < P
AV PV
43°
90°-<A 90°- < P
90°- PA
What we know
Side PV = 90° - 43° = 47°
Side PA = 90° - 30º = 60º
=> 90º - 60° = 30°
Napier’s Formula
V
Sin of the middle Part = Product of the Cosines of the opposite parts
Sin of the Middle Part = Product of the tangents of the adjacent Parts
90°- < P= X
90°-<A
43°
90°- PA=30°
43°
A 30° P00’S 31° 00’E
AV PV = 47°
Sin of the middle Part = Product of the Cosines of the opposite parts
90°-<A 90°- < P
Sine 47° = Cos 30º x Cos < A
PV AV
V
B
<P <A
PA