Mercator

Sailing
Theory
& Practice
 Our Aim
• Is to introduce the learner to:
–Mercator charts
–Mercator sailing theory
–Meridional Parts
 The objectives are that by the end
of the lesson the learner will:

• Recognise a Mercator chart

• What the basic requirements of a

Mercator chart should be.

• Be able to describe meridional parts

 Mercator Charts
• As we have already discovered in previous
lessons:
• Meridians are semi great circles, running
between the poles in a north/south direction
• They cross the equator at 900
• Because parallels of latitude are in fact parallel
to the equator then the meridians will also
cross all parallels at 900
• Meridians converge at both the poles
 Mercator Charts
• To represent part of the earth’s surface on a
chart it is highly desirable that the chart fulfill
the following functions:-

– Rhumb lines appear as a straight line

– The chart is orthomorphic i.e. land masses are

represented in their correct shape

• On a two dimensional mercator chart the

convergence of the meridians create a major
problem
 Mercator Charts
• Ideally, we need to have a situation like this:-

60
0

40
0

20
0

00

• Unfortunately, our earth looks like:-

In order to get the
chart as we
require it we
need to stretch
the meridians
apart, this
stretching
increases as the
latitude increases
• Consider this:-if we stretch the meridians in the sketch
apart so that they are vertical, straight lines parallel to
each other we are left with the situation where there is
a large discrepancy in distance between the meridians
at 00 and 600 i.e. 900’ at 00 and 450’ at 600
• This can not 60
N be the case, furthermore
0it does not
0’ 450
make sense ’
60
0
450
’
30
779. 0
30
5’ 0
779
0 0
.5
900
’
d’lon
200
g 350
E E 00
900
20 0
’ 400
E
• In order to rectify this dilemma we must also stretch the
parallels apart by an equal amount, as seen below
• This also ensures that the land masses will also be shown in
their true shape, although somewhat exaggerated in size
• This means that an island on the equator measuring 5miles x
5miles (25sq.miles) would appear on a mercator chart at 600N
measuring 10miles x 10miles (100sq.miles)
• But we do have meridians which are a fixed distance apart
throughout the chart in a north/south direction

60
0

40
0

20
0

00
 Mercator Sailing
• From the last illustration it can be seen that a
mercator chart has a scale of longitude that is fixed
throughout the coverage of the chart while the
latitude scale is variable
• In mercator sailing, by using a combination of the
fixed East to West scale with a North to South
distance using the Same Units the required course
angle can be found mathematically
• Since the East to West scale (i.e. the d’long) is in
minutes of longitude it follows that if we are to use
the same units then the length of the meridian
between the two parallels of latitude MUST also be
measured in minutes of longitude
• Confusing or what!!?
 Mercator Sailing

• All that we plan to do is, instead of

using d’lat as a unit which we cannot
do because the parallels have been
stretched apart, we will measure d’lat
in minutes of longitude
• This we do by using magical units
called Meridional Parts
 Meridional Parts
• Meridional Parts are d’lo
Lat ng
defined as:-
B
• The distance along a
Measur
meridian that a parallel of DMP ed in
latitude lies from the (difference in mins of
meridional long
equator MEASURED parts from
Lat
IN MINUTES OF A the
equator
LONGITUDE Measured in
mins of long
from the
• Once we know the equator

measurement in meridional Equat

or Long Long
parts we can then obtain A B
the Difference in
 Question?
What are the MP’s for:-

• 080 15’S • 000 46’N

• 493.36 • 45.69
 Next Lesson
• Using Meridional Parts
• &
• Mercator Sailing Calculations