Lesson 2 - Chartwork Exercises (Plotting)
Learning Outcomes
At the end of the lesson, the students shall be able to:
1. Lay off true course between two positions and mark with appropriate symbols
2. Plot two fixes using cross bearing and lay off true course between them and
mark them with appropriate symbols.
3. Find the distance between two positions.
Guide Questions
1. What is chartwork? How do you lay off true course between two positions and
mark it with appropriate symbols?
2. How do you plot two fixes using cross bearing and lay off true course between
them and mark them with appropriate symbols?
3. How do you find the distance between two positions?
How to lay off true course between two positions and mark it with appropriate
symbols.
Chartwork is the is use of the chart for planning, monitoring and recording the intended
voyage. Good chartwork forms a very important supplement to the main permanent
record of the ship’s voyage which is the deck log. Chartwork also provides a means of
communication between those involved in the execution of the navigation plan. The chart-
work should therefore be neat, legible and use standard symbology.
The first basic requirement for chartwork is to be able to plot a position given in terms of
latitude and longitude on the chart. This requires a familiarity with parallel rulers and
dividers which comes only with practice. Latitudes and longitudes are normally given in
degrees and minutes and decimals of a minute thus:
40° 45.6′ N 006° 32.3′ W
The latitude and longitude scales are marked in units of minutes of latitude or longitude
With alternate minutes highlighted. Each minute is divided into subunits of 0.1 of a minute.
A convenient way of plotting the position is to line up the parallel rulers with a convenient
parallel to get an east west reference and run the rulers to the required latitude. A light
line can then be drawn in the vicinity of the given latitude. The longitude may be marked
in a similar way but a more convenient way is to set the dividers correctly from the required
longitude to a convenient meridian on the longitude scale. The dividers can then be used
from the same meridian to mark a point on the parallel which has just been marked.
In many instances a position is given in terms of bearing and distance from a known and
chartered point. The compass rose is used to line up the parallel rulers with a given bearing
and then moved to pass through the point stated. The distance is then marked off with
dividers or compasses. Note that all bearings and courses marked on a chart must be true,
that is measured from the true meridian.
The next requirement is for the course and distance between two positions to be marked
and annotated. A straight line between two plotted positions will represent the rhumb line
which, except for long ocean passages vessels always follow. It is the line of constant
course which may be measured directly from the chart by aligning the parallel rulers with
it and transferring them to a compass rose. The value of the true course should be marked
neatly against the course line to be followed. The distance can then be measured with
dividers against the latitude scale.
Please watch “5 Position Techniques” from you tube (youtube.com/watch?
v=x93EaSwMVfQ
If the position of the ship lies on the intersection of the two lines (parallel of latitude and
meridian of longitude) the correct way of writing down the ship’s position is
36° 30′ N 035° 30′ E
Always write down your latitude first, followed by your longitude. The longitude is written
in the three-digit form as its maximum value could reach 180° whereas the latitude’s
maximum value is only 90°. The latitude scale is increasing upwards hence the name North
while the longitude is increasing to the right hence the name East.
How to plot two fixes using cross bearing and how to lay off true course
between them and mark them with appropriate symbols.
In the above illustration, two fix positions were obtained. One at 1200H and the other at
1230H. The course of the ship can be obtained by connecting the two positons with a line
and determine the direction the ship is going by transferring this line to the compass rose.
Notice that the direction the ship is moving is downward from 1200H to 1230H. Always
make it a point when transferring the LOP to the compass rose to assume that the ship is
at the center of the compass rose. Notice also how the positions and LOPs are properly
marked.
How to measure distance between two positions.
The distance between two positons can be measured by using the compass divider. Place
one leg of the divider on the first position and the other leg on the second position as
shown on the top left illustration. Lift your divider and place it along the latitude scale as
shown on the top right illustration . Read the number of minutes between the two legs.
Always remember that one minute of latitude is equal to one nautical mile. If by chance
that
the leg of your divider does not exactly fall on the line, take note that the minute of latitude
have small lines that subdivide it representing sub minutes. If one minute is subdivided by
four
lines, then the reading would start from .25, .5. 75 and the whole minute. If it is subdivided
by
five lines, then the reading would start from .2, .4, .6, .8 and the whole minute.
