On 26 February your vessel's 1615 ZT DR position is LAT 25°14'S, LONG 57°22'W, when an azimuth of the Sun is observed. The chronometer time of the sight is 8h 13m 19s, and the Sun is bearing 266.0° per standard magnetic compass. The chronometer error is 01m 46s slow, and the variation in the area is 6°E. What is the deviation of the standard compass?

Question

On 26 February your vessel's 1615 ZT DR position is LAT 25&deg;14'S, LONG 57&deg;22'W, when an azimuth of the Sun is observed. The chronometer time of the sight is 8h 13m 19s, and the Sun is bearing 266.0&deg; per standard magnetic compass. The chronometer error is 01m 46s slow, and the variation in the area is 6&deg;E. What is the deviation of the standard compass?

Accepted Answer

Option A: 1.7&deg;E. Calculate the Sun's declination and LHA. Determine the true azimuth using the ABC table or the cosine formula. Compare the true azimuth to the compass bearing (266.0° psc). Applying 6°E variation to the true bearing results in a deviation of 1.7°E.