MID-L ATITUDE

SAILNG
F I N D I N G T H E C O U R S E A N D D I S TA N C E
 HOMEWORK PROBLEM
• A vessel at LAT 07° 05' N, LONG 81° 45' W is to proceed to LAT 08° 40' N, LONG 88° 00' W. What
are the course and distance by mid-latitude sailing? .

• What is a SAILING? – a navigational calculation, using TRIG, which will give you the Course,
Distance or Arrival point.
Departure – the
distance between any
Difference in MID The items shaded in blue are
Longitude
two longitudes Latitude what we need to solve these
• Formula:
formulae:
1. Difference in Longitude –
• 1) Departure Formula: p = Dlo (Cos Lm) must always be in all
Course Departure MINUTES – no degrees!
Angle
Difference
• 2) Course Formula: Tan C = p / Dlat in Latitude
2. Difference in Latitude –
must always be in all
• 3) Distance Formula: D = Dlat / (Cos C) MINUTES – no degrees!
Distance
Course 3. Course angle and Latitude
Difference
in Latitude
Angle are in DEGREES and
DECIMAL – no minutes!
 A vessel at LAT 07° 05' N, LONG 81° 45' W is to proceed to LAT 08° 40' N, LONG 88° 00' W. What are the course and distance by mid-latitude
sailing?

• Set up – All problems should be set up this way

FROM: Lat 07º 05.0’ N Long 081º 45.0’ W
TO: Lat 08º 40.0’ N Long 088º 00.0’ W

Leave this space in the

middle for calculating
the MID LATITUDE
 A vessel at LAT 07° 05' N, LONG 81° 45' W is to proceed to LAT 08° 40' N, LONG 88° 00' W. What are the course and distance by mid-latitude
sailing?

• Set up – All problems should be set up this way

FROM: Lat’ 07º 05.0 N Long 081º 45.0’ W
TO: Lat’ 08º 40.0 N Long 088º 00.0’ W

• Our next step is to find the MID- Latitude

– This is the exact midpoint between both latitudes – in DEGREES and
DECIMAL PLACE – no minutes!
 A vessel at LAT 07° 05' N, LONG 81° 45' W is to proceed to LAT 08° 40' N, LONG 88° 00' W. What are the
course and distance by mid-latitude sailing?

• To find the MID Latitude, the easiest way is to change everything to minutes first,
divide by two, then change back to degrees.
– LAT 07° 05’ N
• (7 x 60) + 5 = 425’
– LAT 08° 40’ N
• (8 x 60) + 40 = 520’

– Now, add the minutes together and divide by two.

• 425’ + 520’ = 945’
• 945’ / 2 = 472.5’ Mid Latitude. But this must be in degrees. There are 60’ in one degree, therefore:

• 472.5 /60 = 7.875° Mid latitude

 A vessel at LAT 07° 05' N, LONG 81° 45' W is to proceed to LAT 08° 40' N, LONG 88° 00' W. What are the course and distance by mid-latitude
sailing?

• Figure out our DIRECTION on this Voyage – GENERALLY

Latitudes Mid Latitude Longitudes
FROM: Lat 07º 05.0’ N 425’ Long 081º 45.0’ W
TO: Lat 08º 40.0’ N 520’ Long 088º 00.0’ W
945’ / 2 = 472.5’/60
7.875°Lm
• In the LATITUDES - If we are traveling from 7º North to 8º North?
– Then we are heading….
NORTH !
• In the LONGITUDES – If we are traveling from 081º West to 088º West?
– Then we are heading…
WEST !
 A vessel at LAT 07° 05' N, LONG 81° 45' W is to proceed to LAT 08° 40' N, LONG 88° 00' W. What are the course and distance by mid-latitude
sailing?

• Set up – Now INCLUDE the Mid Latitude:

Latitudes Mid Latitude Longitudes
FROM: Lat 07º 05.0’ N 425’ Long 081º 45.0’ W
TO: Lat 08º 40.0’ N 520’ Long 088º 00.0’ W
945’ / 2 = 472.5’/60
7.875°Lm
• Next step is DIFFERENCE IN LATITUDE / LONGITUDE
• Same hemisphere – Subtract! / Opposite hemispheres – Add!
– These both are in the same hemisphere so SUBTRACTION
– MOST IMPORTANTLY – we cannot subtract the SMALLER latitude from the
BIGGER LATITUDE – They must be flipped around IF THE SMALLER ONE
IS ON TOP!
 A vessel at LAT 07° 05' N, LONG 81° 45' W is to proceed to LAT 08° 40' N, LONG 88° 00' W. What are the course and distance by mid-latitude
sailing?

Same The BIGGER

Always• Difference in Lat, Difference in Long LAT/LONG Must
subtract or Subtract be on TOP to
add the Latitudes Mid Latitude Longitudes SUBTRACT
MINUTES
FIRST! FROM: Lat 07º 05.0’ N 425’ Long 081º 45.0’ W
087° 60.0’
TO: - Lat 08º 40.0’ N 520’ - Long 088º 00.0’ W
- 07º 05.0’ N 945’ / 2 = 472.5’/60 Long 081º 45.0’ W
The BIGGER
LAT/LONG Must 1° 35.0’ 7.875°Lm 6° 15.0’
be on TOP to
SUBTRACT

• CONVERT EVERYTHING TO MINUTES!

(1° x 60) + 35’ = 95’ Dlat (6 x 60) + 15’ = 375’ Dlong
The 3 variables
we found out:
Dlat’ = 95’
Dlong = 375
Lm = 7.875°
 A vessel at LAT 07° 05' N, LONG 81° 45' W is to proceed to LAT 08° 40' N, LONG 88° 00' W. What are
the course and distance by mid-latitude sailing?

• FORMULA Number ONE – the Departure Formula: The 3 variables

we found out:
• p = Dlo (Cos Lm) Dlat’ = 95’
Dlo = 375
• p = 375 (Cos 7.875°) Lm = 7.875°

• p = 375 (0.99056934044357724801898897235833)
• p = 371.46350266634146800712086463437
 A vessel at LAT 18º 54' N, LONG 73º 00' E, heads for a destination at LAT 13º 12' N, LONG 54º The 3 variables
00' E. Determine the true course and distance by Mercator sailing. we found out:
Dlat’ = 95’
• FORMULA Number TWO – the Course Formula: Dlong = 375
Use as many significant figures as Lm = 7.875°
• tan C = p / Dlat
your calculator will give you!
• tan C = 371.463502666341 / 95
• tan C = 3.91014213332991
• To solve for C you must take the INVERSE tangent - use your 2nd or ALT key

• C = 75.65436647337 – This is not the final answer! This is the course angle.
• Last step for the course: Remember back from the other slide – what direction were we traveling?
• We must adapt the final answer using the trig parameter guide
• We are traveling NORTH WEST so we must subtract our answer from 360.
NW
ALL
• 360 correction 360-C
GOOD
-75.65436647337 course angle
284.3456335266231 OR Course 284.3° T +180 180-C
 A vessel at LAT 18º 54' N, LONG 73º 00' E, heads for a destination at LAT 13º 12' N, LONG 54º The 3 variables
00' E. Determine the true course and distance by Mercator sailing. we found out:
Dlat’ = 95’
Dlong = 375
Lm = 7.875°
• FORMULA Number THREE – the Distance Formula:
Course Angle
• D = Dlat / cos C C = 75.65436647337

• D = 95 / cos 75.65436647337
• D = 95 / 0.24777071200462575082129560198029
• D = 383.4190055450395574606884541595
• D = 383.4 or 384 Nautical Miles Distance