On 5 May at 1953 zone time, you take a sextant observation of Polaris. Your vessel's DR position is LAT 29°30.0' N, LONG 66°25.7' W, and your sextant reads 29°07.2'. Your chronometer reads 11h 51m 45s, and your chronometer error is 01m 36s slow. Your height of eye is 56 feet, and the index error for your sextant is 1.5' on the arc. What is the latitude of your vessel from your observation of Polaris?

Question

On 5 May at 1953 zone time, you take a sextant observation of Polaris. Your vessel's DR position is LAT 29&deg;30.0' N, LONG 66&deg;25.7' W, and your sextant reads 29&deg;07.2'. Your chronometer reads 11h 51m 45s, and your chronometer error is 01m 36s slow. Your height of eye is 56 feet, and the index error for your sextant is 1.5' on the arc. What is the latitude of your vessel from your observation of Polaris?

Accepted Answer

Option B: 29&deg;23.6'N. Correct the sextant altitude for index error, dip, and refraction. Determine the LHA of Aries using the chronometer time and DR longitude. Apply the Polaris correction factors (a0, a1, a2) from the Nautical Almanac to the altitude to derive the latitude, which calculates to 29°23.6'N.