A vessel at LAT 49°45'N, LONG 6°35'W, heads for a destination at LAT 25°50'N, LONG 77°00'W. Determine the true course and distance by Mercator sailing.

Question

A vessel at LAT 49&deg;45'N, LONG 6&deg;35'W, heads for a destination at LAT 25&deg;50'N, LONG 77&deg;00'W. Determine the true course and distance by Mercator sailing.

Accepted Answer

Option A: 246.5&deg;T, 3597 miles. Applying Mercator sailing, the difference in meridional parts (DMP) is divided into the difference in longitude to find the tangent of the course angle. The distance is then derived using DLat / cos(Course). These calculations yield a true course of 246.5°T and a distance of 3597 miles.

A vessel at LAT 49&deg;45'N, LONG 6&deg;35'W, heads for a destination at LAT 25&deg;50'N, LONG 77&deg;00'W. Determine the true course and distance by Mercator sailing.

A vessel at LAT 49°45'N, LONG 6°35'W, heads for a destination at LAT 25°50'N, LONG 77°00'W. Determine the true course and distance by Mercator sailing.