Distance & Direction

Units to measure distance

 Nautical mile
 Knot
 Geographical mile
 Statute mile
 Kilometer
Nautical mile

 Length of the arc of a meridian subtending an

angle of 1’ at the centre of curvature of that
place
 Length of a meridian between 2 geographic
latitudes that differ by 1’ of DLat.
Nautical mile
P

A
R 1’
B
Differences in nautical mile
P Q
 The curvature at the
pole is less
 PR’ > BR
 PQ = 1861.7 m
 AB = 1842.9 m
 Mean = 1852.3 m A
 International nautical R
mile = 1852 m B
R’
Geographic mile
P
 The length of
arc on the
Equator that
subtends an A
angle of 1’ at 1’
R
B
the center of
the Earth.
 1855.3 m
Other standard distances

 Statute mile or land mile = 5280 feet

 Kilometre = 1/10,000 part of a meridian
900 x 60’ = 5400 x 1.8523 = 10,002.42 km
 Knot = 1 nautical mile/hr
 Always written as 10 kts, 25 kts.
 Never as 10 kts/hr, 25 kts/hr
 Remember distance is measured in nautical
miles
 Speed is measured in knots
Direction
Degrees and minutes or Hours and
minutes
 Symbol for degrees:
 Symbol for minutes:
 5 degrees 10 minutes =
 105 degrees 5 minutes =
 200.6 degrees =
 100 degrees 10 minutes + 25 degrees 30 minutes =
 156 degrees 40 minutes + 62 degrees 30 minutes
 0800 hours, 1025 hours, 1632 hours, 2145 hours
 0725 hours + 8 hours 24 minutes
True direction

 Angle measured with reference to the Geographical

North.
 All meridians indicate true North.
 Angle measured in degrees and minutes.
 Two notations:
 3600 notation
 Quadrantal notation

True course – angle between True North and ship’s head

True Bearing – angle at the observer between True North and
an object external to the ship
True North
P
 All
meridians
are North /
South.
R
 All
parallels
East /
West.
Bearing
P
 True bearing is the
angle between
True North and
the great circle 0450
passing through
the observer and
the object

R
True Bearing
True North
P
T
300
T 300

F N 300 E

P1
True Bearing
True North
P
N
T
T

N 600 W
F
F
3000
3000

P1
Compass rose

True North

Magnetic North

Magnetic Variation and

Annual Increase

Variation is the Difference Between

true & magnetic north pole
Some definitions

 Bearing Direction of an object from the

ship
 Course Direction to follow to reach
destination
Course & Bearing
Compass notations
 Compass directions
P
Course = 0900 Bearing =
Course = 0400 Bearing =
Course = 2600 Bearing =

P1
Understanding directions

 Quadrantal Azimuthal
 N 370 E 0370
 S 300 W 2100
 N 700 W 2900
 S 500 E ?
 ? 3000
Home Work

 S 550 W
 N 650 W
 N 850 E
 S 350 E
 1300
 2600
 3100
 1800
 2700
Courses on the sphere
Courses on a Mercator chart