Great Circles

By A.W.Strannigan
 Great Circles
 The shortest distance between 2 points is a Great Circle
Route.
 A Great Circle route will require a vessel to continuously
alter course and it will take vessels into higher latitudes .
A/C
A/C
A/C

A/C
 Great Circle Pole
D’Long
Function
of Final
Course

Initial B
Course

Destination Point
•V = Vertex Maximum Latitude
•Ship’s Course 090°(T) or 270° (T)

A Departure Point
Great Circle Course & Distance
Calculations
 A Great Circle problem is resolved by spherical trig
calculations
 For a Vessel sailing from position A to position B
 Distance =>
 Cosine Distance =D’Long AB x Cos Lat A x Cos Lat
B (+ or –) Sine Lat A x Sine Lat B
 If Latitude A & B are the same name +
 If Latitude A & B different names -
Great Circle Calculations
 Courses =>
 Courses are calculated using the Sine formula
 Sine a/Sine A = Sine b/Sine B = Sine c/Sine C

 Courses can also be calculated using ABC

Example 1
 A vessel is to Sail from Lat 38° 42’N Long 25° 35’ E to Lat 40°
43’N Long 74° 00’W
 Calculate Great Circle distance, Initial Course & Final
Course
Pole
C
a

B
b
Destination
c

A
Departure Point
Example 1
 D’Long = 25° 35’E
 74° 00’W
 99° 35’W
0° (Prime
Meridian)

Westerly
Course
 Example 1 Distance
Cos Dist = Cos D’Long. Cos Lat A. Cos Lat B (+ or -) Sine Lat A. Sine Lat B
=> Cos 99° 35. Cos 38° 42. Cos 40° 43. + Sine 38°42. Sine 40° 43
=> -0.09848 + 0.40786
=> 0.30938
=> 4318.7
GC Sailing :- Finding Initial & Final
Course ABC Method
 The A<B<C method, adapts Celestial
Navigation Formula, for use in terrestial
Navigation problems
 Information can be found in Nautical Tables
such as Norries, or calculated using Spherical
Trigonometry
 ABC are the Names Given to components
which we use to find the angles we require
Example 1 Course
 ABC
 A = Tan Lat A/Tan D’Long
 ( Always named opposite to Latitude, except
when d’long angle is between 90° and 270°)
 B = Tan Lat B/Sine D’Long
 (Always named the same as the Latitude)
 C = the summation of A & B
 Tan Az = 1/C x Cos Lat A
Example 1 Great Circle Course
 Tan 38° 42’/Tan 99° 35’ = 0.135 N
 Tan 40° 43’/Sine 99°35’ = 0.873 N
 C = 1.008
 Tan Az = 1/1.008 x Cos 38° 42’
 = 51.8
 =N51.8 W
 => Initial Course = 308.2°(T)
Example 2
 A vessel is to sail from Lat 41°06’S Long142°
18’E to Lat 46°43’ S Long 108°07’W ship
speed 14kts
 Calculate Great Circle Distance, Initial Course
& Final Course and Steaming Time
 Example 2
i. Cos Dist = Cos D’Long. Cos Lat A. Cos Lat B (+ or -) Sine Lat A. Sine Lat B
ii. Calculate D’Long

=>180° 180°

142° 18’ E 108° 07’W

37° 42’ 71° 53’

=> 109° 35’E

41°06’S 142° 18’E

A

p
B
b 46°43’ S
a 108°07’W
P
 Example 2 GC Distance
Cos Dist = Cos D’Long. Cos Lat A. Cos Lat B (+ or -) Sine Lat A. Sine Lat B
 = Cos 41° 06’. Cos 46°43’. Cos 109° 35’ + Sine 41° 06’ Sine 46°43’
 = -0.17317 + 0.47855
 = 0.30538
 = 72.22
 Distance = 4333.1

41°06’S 142° 18’E

A

p
B
b 46°43’ S
a 108°07’W
P
Example 2 Initial Course
 ABC
 A= Tan Lat A/Tan D’Long
 = Tan 41° 06’/Tan 109° 35’
 = 0.31035 S
 B = Tan Lat B/Sine D’Long
 = Tan 46° 43’/ Sine 109° 35’
 = 1.1270 S
 C = 1.43735 S
 Tan Az = 1/C x Cos Lat
 = 1/ 1.43735 x Cos 41° 06’
 = S 42.7 E
 Initial Course = 137.3° (T)
Example 2 Final Course
 ABC
 A= Tan Lat B/Tan D’Long
 = Tan 46° 43’/Tan 109° 35’
 = 0.37774 S
 B = Tan Lat A/Sine D’Long
 = Tan 41° 06’/ Sine 109° 35’
 = 0.92591 S
 C = 1.30365 S
 Tan Az = 1/C x Cos Lat
 = 1/ 1.30365 x Cos 46° 43’
 = S 48.2° W (Reverse)
 = N 48.2° E
 Final Course = 048.2° (T)
Example 2 Steaming Time
 GC Distance = 4333.1
 Vessels Speed = 14kts
 Time = distance / speed
 = 4333.1/14
 Steaming Time = 309.507 Hours
 = 12days 21 hours 30 minutes
Example 3
 Posn A Lat 18° 30’S 028° 00’W
 Posn B Lat 32° 30’N 048° 00’E
 Calculate
 the Great Circle Distance from A to B
 The Initial Course
 The Final Course
 Example 3 Answer Distance
P
 D’Long => 28° 00’W
 => 48° 00’E
 =>76° 00’E Lat
B
32° 30’N 048° 00’E

A
Lat 18° 30’S 028° 00’W

Cos Dist = Cos D’Long. Cos Lat A. Cos Lat B (+ or -) Sine Lat A. Sine Lat B
= Cos 76°. Cos 18° 30’. Cos 32°30’N - Sine 18° 30’ Sine 32°30
= 5321’
Example 3 Initial Course
 A = Tan Lat A/ Tan D’Long
 = 0.08342 N
 B = Tan Lat B/ Sine D’Long
 = 0.65657 N
 C = 0.73999
 => 1/ 0.73999 x Cos 18° 30’ = N 55°E
 => 055°(T)
Example 3 Final Course
 A = Tan Lat B/ Tan D’Long
 = 0.15884 S
 B = Tan Lat A/ Sine D’Long
 = 0.34484 S
 C = 0.50368
 => 1/ 0.50368 x Cos 32° 30’ = S 67°W
 => Reverse = N 67 E
 => 067°(T)
Example 4
 Posn A Lat 5° 30’N 165° 30’W
 Posn B Lat 52° 30’S 135° 00’E
 Calculate
 The Mercator Distance from A to B
 The Great Circle Distance from A to B
 The Initial Course
 The Final Course
 Example 4 Mercator Distance
Tan Co = D’Long/DMP
Tan Co = 59° 30’ 00’/4023.9
Cos Co = D’Lat/Distance
Distance = D’Lat/ Cos Co = 3570/4023.9
= 0.88719
D’Long => 165° 30’W = 41.6°
=> 135° 00’E
=>59° 30’ 00’W Distance = 58°/ Cos 41.6°

D’Lat DMP = 3480/0.74804

=> 5° 30’N = 328.27 = 4652’

52° 30’S = 3695.6

58° 00 = 4023.9
 Example 4 Answer GC Distance
 D’Long => 165° 30’W Lat 5° 30’N 165° 30’W
 => 135° 00’E A

 =>59° 30’ 00’W

B
52° 30’S 135° 00’E
P

Cos Dist = Cos D’Long. Cos Lat A. Cos Lat B (+ or -) Sine Lat A. Sine Lat B
= Cos 5° 30’. Cos 52° 30’. Cos 59°30’ - Sine 5° 30’ Sine 52°30
= 4597’
Example 4 Initial Course
 A = Tan Lat A/ Tan D’Long
 = 0.0567 S
 B = Tan Lat B/ Sine D’Long
 = 1.152 S
 C = 1.5687
 => 1/ 1.5687 x Cos 5° 30’ = S 32.6°W
 => 212.6°(T)
Example 4 Final Course
 A = Tan Lat B/ Tan D’Long
 = 0.76766 N
 B = Tan Lat A/ Sine D’Long
 = 0.11175 N
 C = 0.87941
 => 1/ 0.87941 x Cos 52° 30’ = N 61.8°E
 => Reverse = S 61.8 W
 => 241.8°(T)
Composite Great Circles
 Great Circle routes may take the ship into higher Latitudes
 There are number of reasons why a vessel may not want to
reach the higher latitudes to be found on trans Ocean great
circle tracks.

Loadline regulations

Dangerous ice

Bad weather

Limits of crew agreement

Navigation aids become unreliable

Insurance purposes

Cargo Considerations

Daylight restrictions for deck maintenance

Charter impose restrictions

Land or Islands on the route
Composite Great Circles
 Therefore a composite great circle may be required
 The composition being that of Great Circle routes and
Parralel Sailing Route P
P

V
V
GC2 GC1
B
A
Composite Great Circle
 A Composite Great Circle is resolved by Napier Rules
 Example A ship is to Sail from Durban 30° 00’S 31° 00’E
to Melbourne 39° 00’S 144° 00’E. Charter party
instructions require the ship not to pass the 43° Parallel of
Latitude. Ship speed 12kts.
 Calculate:

Longitude when the ship arrives at the limiting latitude

Initial Course

Total Distance

Longitude when the ship leaves the limiting latitude

Steaming time
 Napier’s Rules
 Napiers rules can be applied to any spherical triangle
where there is either a 90° side or a 90° angle.
 THE RULE STATES THE FOLLOWING
 Sin of the middle Part = Product of the Cosines of the opposite parts
 Sin of the Middle Part = Product of the tangents of the adjacent Parts
 (The parts are simply the other sides and angles within the triangle)
 To use Napier’s rules we need to know at least two parts of the
triangle, other than the 90° angle.
Composite GC
 Draw GC Route

A 30° 00’S 31° 00’E

GC
1 B
GC2
V V
39° 00’S
43° 144° 00’E

P
Right Angled Spherical Triangle
 This triangle has
amounts to 6 Parts 30° 00’S 31° 00’E
A
 3 angles <p <a < v GC
1
 3 sides PA, AV & PV V
 To utilise Napier’s 43°
Rules we must
construct Napiers
wheel
P
Napier’s Wheel
What do we know?
V
V= 90°
PA = Co Lat A 30° P00’S 31° 00’E

PV = Limiting lat GC
AV PV 1

V
43°
90°-<A 90°- < P

90°- PA What do we want to know?

< P = D’Long
< A = Initial Course
AV = GC Distance P
Napier’s Formula
Sin of the middle Part = Product of the Cosines of the opposite parts
V Sin of the Middle Part = Product of the tangents of the adjacent Parts

A 30° P00’S 31° 00’E

GC
AV PV 1

V
43°
90°-<A 90°- < P

90°- PA
What we know
Side PV = 90° - 43° = 47°
Side PA = 90° - 30º = 60º
P
=> 90º - 60° = 30°
 Napier’s Formula
V
Sin of the middle Part = Product of the Cosines of the opposite parts
Sin of the Middle Part = Product of the tangents of the adjacent Parts

AV PV = 47° A 30° P00’S 31° 00’E

GC
1
90°- < P= X
90°-<A V
43°
90°- PA=30°

What we want to Know know

<P = d’long
Sin of the Middle Part = Product of the tangents of the adjacent Parts
Sin X = Tan 47° x Tan 30° = 0.61913 = 38°15’.1 P
 Napier’s Formula
D’Long = 38°15’.1
What is the Longitude when the ship arrives at the limiting latitude
31° 00’E A 30° P00’S 31° 00’E
38°15’.1E
GC
69° 15.1’E 1

V
43°

P
 A 30° P00’S 31° 00’E

GC
1
What is < A = Initial Course
V
43°
V

AV PV = 47°

P
Sin of the middle Part = Product of the Cosines of the opposite parts
90°-<A 90°- < P
Sine 47° = Cos 30º x Cos < A

90°- PA=30° 0.73135 = 0.86602 x Cos A

Cos A = 0.73135/0.86602 =0.84449=32º22.9’
90º - 32º22.9 =
Napier’s wheel P

PV AV
V

B
<P <A
PA

We Know or we can calculate PA & <A

A
We wish to find the Co lat of the Vertex PV
Great Circle Napier’s Rules
P

•In diagram and triangle PAV WHAT DO WE KNOW ?

•PA The Co Lat of A (90°-Latitude)
•Angle V which is 90°
•Angle A is not given. (Can it be calculated?)
V
•To find the Vertex:
•Side PV will give the Co-Lat of Vertex B

•Angle P will give the d’long of the

vertex from A
•V = Vertex Maximum
•Side AV which will give the distance Latitude
of the vertex from A
A •Ship’s Course 090°(T)
or 270° (T)
To Find PV Co Lat of Vertex