COLLEGE OF MARITIME EDUCATION

COMPRE - DECK
Marine Charts and
Navigation

Oceanography
2017
Earth Coordinate System
► Longitude
Latitude
1. Parallels ofofarc
Meridians angle
2. 0º-90º
0º (prime
N-Smeridian)
from the -180º
equator
E-W
topole
polesto pole
3. 1º = 60’
Prime meridian
(1’=60 sec)
is measured at Greenwich England
4. small circles
great
Marine Charts
►Water depths
►Configuration of the shoreline in coastal
waters
►Navigational lights, buoys, landmarks
►Chart title block
►Nature of the bottom (hrd, rky, g, sh, s, co)
►North is the top, latitude scale on side, and
longitude on top and bottom
►Many charts cover less than a 1º of lat or
long, so be careful when “fixing” a position
Units of Distance

►Statute vs. nautical miles

►1 nautical mile = 1’ of latitude
►1 nautical mile = 1.15 statute miles
►1º of latitude = 60’ = 60 nautical miles
►1º = 60 nautical miles = 69 statute miles
►Use a drafting compass or dividers and spread points to apply to chart bar scale to determine distance
Units of Speed
►Knot = 1 nautical mile/hour

►1 knot x 1.85 = km/hr

Plotting a Course

►Magnetic vs. true (geographic) North

►Use the “Compass rose” on the chart
►The compass is graduated from 0º-360º and broken into 32
points on the compass
►Cardinal points (0, 90, 180, 270 degrees)
►Intercardinal points (northeast, southeast, southwest,
northwest)
►Cardinal-intercardinal points (ie. east northeast = 67.5º and
south southeast = 157.5º)
Cont’

Course
► Intended direction of travel
► Expressed in degrees
► However, influenced by winds, currents, and pilot error

Heading
► The direction in which the ship is actually traveling regardless of prescribed course

Bearing
► Direction from one point to another
► Expressed as an angle from North
► Traditional expressed as relative parts of the vessel
Time and Earth’s Rotation
►Earth rotates on its axis once in 24hrs = day
►Each rotation is 360º = 24hrs
►Longitude 0º (prime meridian at Greenwich England) when sun is
directly overhead is 12:00 noon
►Therefore at 180º the time is 12:00am (midnight)
►Therefore, every 15º of longitude E or W of Greenwich = 1 hour of
time (Zulu or Z. time)
►360º/24 = 15º
D.R. Navigation
► Also known as Dead Reckoning or “Ded” Reckoning
► Method of navigating using the following from a KNOWN position:
1. Time
2. Speed
3. Distance
4. Direction
► Note: Does not account for error or currents
Formulas
►Distance = Speed x Time

D
►Speed = Distance / Time

S T
►Time = Distance / Speed

Use 60 D = S * T (for minutes)