Marine Charts and

Navigation

Oceanography
2017
 Earth Coordinate System
► Latitude ► Longitude
1. Parallels of arc 1. Meridians of angle
2. 0º-90º N-S from the 2. 0º (prime meridian) -
equator to poles 180º E-W pole to
3. 1º = 60’ (1’=60 sec) pole
4. small circles 3. Prime meridian is
measured at
Greenwich England
4. great circles
 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
► Cardinal points (0, 90, 180, 270 degrees)
► Intercardinal points (northeast, southeast, southwest,
northwest)
 Cont’

Course
► Intended direction of travel
► Expressed in degrees

Heading
► The direction in which the ship is actually traveling regardless of
prescribed course
► maybe influenced by winds, currents, and pilot error

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)