Semester III – NS/T31

Navigational Aids - I
Unit 1
Title - The Magnetism of the Earth and
the Ship’s Deviation
Topic – Ship’s Magnetism Part 1
 References
 Internet
 Reference Books:
 Ship’s Magnetic Compass by Capt. T.K. Joseph &
Capt. S.S. Rewari
 Ship Magnetism & The Magnetic Compass by F.G.
Merrifield
 Note: The Power Point Presentations are only for
guidance and reference purposes. Please refer to
the Books for detailed study of the syllabus.
 Introduction to Ship’s Magnetism

Permanent Magnetism
 A ship, while in the process of being constructed, will acquire magnetism
of a permanent nature under the extensive hammering it receives in the
earth's magnetic field.
 After launching, the ship will lose some of this original magnetism as a
result of vibration, pounding, etc., in varying magnetic fields, and will
eventually reach a more or less stable magnetic condition.
 This magnetism which remains is the permanent magnetism of the ship.
 Ship’s Magnetism
• Both iron and steel are magnetic
substances though they differ
magnetically in two important
respects. For this reason,
magnetism is dealt with two
broad headings:
Soft iron which instantly becomes
magnetized on being placed in a
magnetic field and just as rapidly loses
those properties on being removed from
it.
Hard iron which offers considerable
resistance to magnetic changes, i.e.
once magnetized, it retains those
properties permanently.

• Note: when magnetized by

induction, iron receives:
• Blue (S) polarity where the lines
of force enter and
• Red (N) polarity where they leave.
 Ship’s Magnetism

Induced Magnetism
 The ship also acquires induced magnetism when placed in a magnetic field (such
as the earth).
 The amount of magnetism induced in any given piece of soft iron is dependent
upon:
 the field intensity.
 the alignment of the soft iron in that field.
 the physical properties and dimensions of the iron.
 This induced magnetism may add to or subtract from the permanent magnetism
already present in the ship, depending on how the ship is aligned in the magnetic
field. The softer the iron, the more readily it will be induced by the earth's magnetic
field and the more readily it will give up its magnetism when removed from that
field.
 Ship’s Magnetism

Sub-permanent Magnetism
 The magnetism in the various structures of a ship which tends to change
as a result of cruising, vibration, or aging, but does not alter immediately
so as to be properly termed induced magnetism, is called sub-permanent
magnetism.
 This magnetism, at any instant, is recognized as part of the ship's
permanent magnetism, and consequently must be corrected as such by
means of permanent magnet correctors.
 This sub-permanent magnetism is the principal cause of Deviation
changes on a magnetic compass.
 Resultant induced magnetism from earth's
magnetic field

 A long thin rod of soft iron in a plane parallel to the earth's horizontal
magnetic field, H, will have a red (north) pole induced in the end toward
the north geographic pole and a blue (south) pole induced in the end
toward the south geographic pole.
 This same rod in a horizontal plane but at right angles to the horizontal
earth's field would have no magnetism induced in it, because its
alignment in the magnetic field is such that there will be no tendency
toward linear magnetization and the rod is of negligible cross section.
 Should the rod be aligned in some horizontal direction between those
headings that create maximum and zero induction, it would be induced by
an amount that is a function of the angle of alignment.
 Resultant induced magnetism from earth's
magnetic field

 If a similar rod is placed in a vertical position in northern latitudes so as to

be aligned with the vertical earth's field Z, it will have a blue (south) pole
induced at the upper end and a red (north) pole induced at the lower end.
 These polarities of vertical induced magnetization will be reversed in
southern latitudes.
 The amount of horizontal or vertical induction in such rods, or in ships
whose construction is equivalent to combinations of such rods, will vary
with the
 Intensity of H and Z
 Heading of the ship
 Heel of the ship
Ship Magnetism - Hard Iron
• Hard Iron of a ship is the name
usually given to Permanent
Magnetism she acquires during
building and fitting out.
• Hammering and heating
processes applied during the
lengthy periods the hull lies in
a fixed direction in the earth’s
magnetic field stabilize a small
part of the magnetism induced
by this field at those times.
• Thus a steel ship generally
possesses a permanent
magnetic field which, normally,
does not change with change
of course, change of latitude or
when ship rolls or pitches.
Ship Magnetism - Soft Iron
• When dealing with soft iron of a ship it
is convenient to consider it in 2 parts
• Vertical Soft Iron (V.S.I.) This is
induced by Z, the earth’s vertical
force. Thus VSI receives maximum
induction at the magnetic poles and
zero induction at the magnetic
equator, reversing polarity with
change of hemisphere but unaffected
by change of course.
• Horizontal Soft Iron (H.S.I.) This is
induced by H, the earth’s horizontal
force. Thus HSI receives maximum
induction near the magnetic equator
and nil at the magnetic poles. The
strength of HSI varies as the cosine of
the angle it makes with the plane of
the magnetic meridian and so the
moment of HSI must change when
ship’s course changes.
• For the same reason, the magnetic
condition of all soft iron is liable to
change when the ship is rolling or
pitching.
 Resolution of permanent magnetism at
the compass position
 The vertical permanent component tilts the compass card, and, when the ship rolls or
pitches, causes oscillating deflections of the card. Oscillation effects which
accompany roll are maximum on north and south compass headings, and those which
accompany pitch are maximum on east and west compass headings
 The total permanent magnetic field effect at the compass may be broken into three
components, mutually 90° to each other:
 Fore and aft horizontal ‘P’ ( + towards bows )
 Athwartship horizontal ‘Q’ ( + towards Stbd )
 Vertical ‘R’ ( + towards keel )
 To sum up the ships forces at the compass are those arising from:
 Induction in VSI
 Induction in HSI
 Three components of ship’s permanent magnetic field
The ship on a Northerly heading in the Northern
Hemisphere

The ship on a Northerly heading in the Southern

Hemisphere
 Assignment for Self-Study

 Explain in short:
• Permanent magnetism in a ship.
• Induced magnetism in a ship.