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Lesson 15: Voyage Planning

and Time

Learning Objectives:
Apply correct procedures to
determine zone time for specific
locations.
Apply correct procedures to
determine zone time at another
location if zone time is known at a
given location.

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Comprehend the process of
planning for an extended ocean
voyage, and the services and
publications that can be of
assistance during voyage planning.
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At the beginning time was easy
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There was only
the sun and the man
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Some time later someone invented
the clock
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Different cities had different
times
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The problem started when someone
invented the train
Close towns need to have the same time
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We said the problem started
because:
Towns close to each other need to have
the same time

And towns far apart need to have
different times
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SO SOMEONE INVENTED THE
TIME ZONES
They said: the day has 24 hours.
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SO SOMEONE INVENTED THE
TIME ZONES
He said: the day has 24 hours.
The sun appears to make a complete path
(360) around the earth in one day
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SO SOMEONE INVENTED THE
TIME ZONES
He said: the day has 24 hours.
The sun appears to make a complete path
(360) around the earth in one day
So if we divide 360 by 24 the result will be 15
sun moves at a rate of 15 degrees arc measured
either at equator or position of longitude every hour
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15
15 = one hour
360
24
13
15
360, one turn = 24 hours, one day
360
Time Zones
360 degrees
split up into
24 time
zones which
equals 15
degrees of
longitude
per time
zone.
15
15= 1 hour
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Time why is it important in
voyage planning???
ETA
assigned by higher authority
ETD
Nav solves based on ETA
Time Zones
15 degrees of longitude
Referenced to time zone with Prime
Meridian at center.
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Greenwich Mean Time (ZULU) - time in relationship
with mean sun and prime meridian
GMT Zone is centered on Prime Meridian
(000 degrees longitude) and extends +/-
7.5 degrees on each side of the Prime
Meridian

zones west (+) of GMT
earlier time zones than GMT
add hourly time difference to local time to obtain Zulu
time
zones east (-) of GMT
later time zones than GMT
subtract hourly time difference to local time to obtain
Zulu time
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22.5 15 7.5 0 7.5 15 22.5
W E
Zone Zone Zone
+ 1 N 0 Z -1 A
Time Zones
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Time Zones
Zone Description
24 time zones based on GMT
+1 to +12
-1 to 12
In reality, including GMT, there are
25 time zones
ZD = Labeled with letter and number
indicator
Example: ZD of Norfolk, VA is +5R
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1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
Equator
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Equator
- - - - - - - - - - -
X W V U T S R Q P O N Z A B C D E F G H I K L
11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
+ + + + + + + + + + +
+12 Y
-12 M
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Time Zones
To calculate the Zone Description for a given
position, complete the following steps in
order:
Divide longitude of position by 15 to get
center of time zone
if remainder less than 7.5, the quotient
represents the zone
if remainder greater than 7.5, location is next
zone away
if no remainder, location lies in central meridian
of zone
Example: 062 degrees West
062/15 = 4 with a remainder of 2
ZD = +4
Example: 072 degrees West
072/15 = 4 with a remainder of 8
ZD = +5

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Time Zones
Time Conversions - Navigator will convert
all times to GMT for planning process
Convert ETA, ETD to GMT
ZT+ZD=GMT
ZT=GMT-ZD
Label time = Date Time Group
091800 Z OCT98

Two digit day/24-hr time/ZD letter indicator/3 letter month/last two digits year
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Example of Time Conversion
Problems
Convert the following local zone times
to GMT(Zulu) times:
1000R 15 November 1997
ZT+ZD=GMT


151000 R NOV97
+5R
151500 Z NOV97
*Use Figure 15-1 to assist with ZD
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Example of Time Conversion
Problems
It is 0750 on 20 November in Norfolk, VA
(approx. 073 degrees West). What time is it in
Oman (approx. 042 degrees East)?

1. Convert Norfolk time to Zulu:
200750 R NOV
+5R______
201250 Z NOV
2. ZT = GMT ZD (for Oman)
= 201250Z NOV
- (-3C)_____
201550 C NOV
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Voyage Planning
and Time

Time - Time is of major importance in every voyage planning process; almost every
planning action is concerned with the timely arrival at the ultimate destination and at
intermediate points en route.
Estimated time of arrival (ETA): The time and date of arrival that must be met.
They are usually specified by higher authority.
Estimated time of departure (ETD): A computed estimate of the time and date of
departure that will allow the ship to arrive on time. The ETAs at several points
along the track must also be computed in order to check progress .
Development of Zone Time - The rate at which the sun moves across the sky
varies from day to day due to the earths elliptic path around the sun. To avoid
difficulties that arise from this fact, the concept of a theoretical mean sun
passing completely around the earth at the equator once every 24 hours has been
adopted.
The Mean sun completes one circuit around the earth every 24 hours and moves
at the rate of 15 degrees of longitude every hour.
Time zones: Vertical sectors that divide the earths surface into twenty four
zones. Each zone is 15 degrees of longitude in width (15*24=360 degrees).
Zone time (ZT): Time within each zone is reckoned according to the position of the
mean sun in relation to the central meridian of the zone.
Clocks are changed by one hour increments when transiting from one 15 degree
zone to another.
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Each time zone is defined by the number of hours of difference
existing between the time kept in that zone and the time kept within
the zone centered on the prime meridian.
Time zone indicators: Each zone is labeled with a letters that
assists in identification of the zone.
Greenwich Mean Time (GMT): Time based upon the relationship of the
mean sun with the prime meridian. It is often referred to as ZULU time,
because of its time zone indicator letter.
Times zones to the west of Greenwich keep earlier time in relation
to GMT. This is indicated by placing a plus sign in front of the
hourly difference figure to indicate the number of hours that must
be added to the local zone time to convert it to GMT.
Times zones to the east of Greenwich keep later time relative to
GMT. This fact is indicated by placing a minus sign in front of the
hourly difference. This gives the number of hours that must be
subtracted from local zone time to obtain GMT.
The Greenwich Time Zone is centered at the prime meridian, and
extends 7 1/2 degrees to either side. A new time zone boundary lies
every 15 degrees thereafter across both the eastern and western
hemispheres, resulting in the twenty fourth time zone being split
into two halves by the 180th meridian. The half on the west side of
this meridian keeps time 12 hours behind GMT making its
difference +12 hours. The half on the east keeps time 12 hours
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and Time

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ahead, resulting in a difference of -12 hours.
Zone difference or zone description( ZD): There are actually
25 different time zones , numbered from +1 through +12 to the
west of the Greenwich time zone, and -1 through -12 to the
east. These differences are known as zone differences.
The standard time zone in which any particular position on earth is
located can be found by dividing its longitude by 15.
If the remainder is less than 7 1/2 degrees, the quotient
represents the number of the zone; if the remainder is greater
than 7 1/2 degrees, the location is the next zone away from the
Greenwich Meridian.
Example: Determine the standard time zone of Norfolk,
Virginia. Its longitude, 076
o
18.0 West, is divided by 15 to yield
a quotient of 5 with a remainder of 1
o
18. Thus, it is located in
the +5 time zone, which has the time zone indicator letter R.
15 degree time zones are of use to a navigator at sea, but strict
adherence to these time zones is not practical for conducting
business and travel. Consequently, time zones are often
drawn along state and county boundaries.
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and Time

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Daylight savings time is a device adopted by some countries, including the United
States, to extend the hours of daylight during the summer. Locations keeping
daylight savings time keep the time of the next zone to the east of the time zone in
which they are located.
Example: When Norfolk observes daylight savings time, it keeps +4Q time
rather than +5R time.
The time kept at any particular location and time of year can normally be found
in the applicable volume of the Sailing Directions for foreign ports or the Coast
Pilots for U.S. ports.
Time conversions- All times are converted to GMT prior to the initial planning
stages of the voyage to avoid the difficulties inherent in working with several
different time zones. After all ETAs and ETDs have been computed in GMT, certain
times of interest can then be converted to local time zones.
The following formulas are used to convert zone time to GMT and GMT to zone
time: ZT+ZD=GMT (converting zone to GMT)
ZT=GMT-ZD (converting GMT to zone)
Example: Convert 0800 local zone time on 30 June at Naples, Italy to
Greenwich Mean Time. The longitude of Naples is 14
o
16 East, so it lies in the -
1A time zone. The local time to be converted is written 0800A 30 June. The
zone difference is applied to this time giving GMT of 0700Z 30 June.
Voyage Planning
and Time

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Note: The date may change as a result of the conversion process.
For example, converting 0030A 30 June to GMT would yield a
computed time of 2330Z 29 June.
Date-time group: an alphanumeric format used in labeling the track,
as well as in writing messages. An example is shown below:
1 7 1 0 0 0 R J U N 8 9
DAY 4-DIGIT TIME 3 LETTER LAST
OF TIME ZONE MONTH TWO
MONTH INDICATOR ABB DIGITS
OF YEAR
During a transit, the ships clocks are set to the time zone in which
the ship is located.
When transiting in an easterly direction, ships clocks will be
periodically set ahead 1 hour to conform to proper time zone.
When traveling in a westerly direction, clocks will be
periodically set back to conform.
The 180th meridian is designated as the International Date Line,
because the time kept in the 7 1/2
o
-wide zones on either side of it
differs by 24 hours, or one complete day.
When crossing the dateline on a westerly heading, the zone
description changes from +12 to -12. Clocks must be advanced
24 hours, thereby losing one calendar day.
When crossing in an easterly direction, clocks are retarded 24
hours, thereby gaining one calendar day.

Voyage Planning
and Time

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The voyage planning process: In the case of Navy ships, the first
notification of a deployment and its associated transits is normally
received via the Yearly Employment Schedule. Confirmed deployment
dates or changes to a ships schedule will be reflected in Quarterly
Employment Schedules. Navigators must take into account numerous
publication/chart, equipment, personnel, and operational chart
considerations when beginning the planning process:
Obtaining and updating charts and publications:
The navigator will consult applicable chart allowance lists in
order to determine which charts should be in the ships inventory.
Any outdated or missing charts are ordered from the Defense
Mapping Agency or National Ocean Service.
The navigator will also consult the DMA Catalog of Maps, Charts
and Related Publications and the NOS Nautical Chart Catalog 1 to
find the numbers of all charts and Coast Pilots and Sailing
Directions volumes that will be of use in the voyage.
The Chart Petty Officer will pull all applicable charts and their
correction cards and update all information.
Determination of departure and arrival dates:
Regardless of whether a ship will transit independently or in
company with other ships, an ETA (estimated time of arrival) will
be promulgated by a higher authority. It is up to the navigator to
calculate an estimated
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and Time

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time of departure that will allow the ship to arrive at the assigned time.
Example: A ship will transit from Norfolk to Naples, Italy with an ETA OF 0800A
30 June.
First: Determine the distance between Norfolk and Naples using
Publication No. 151, Distance Between Ports. A great circle route can be
sailed from Norfolk to Gibraltar (3,335 miles), then from Gibraltar to
Messina (1.049 miles), and finally from Messina to Naples (175 miles).
Adding the three together yields a total distance of 4,559 miles. Maximum
SOA (speed of advance) will be promulgated by higher authority; for this
example a maximum SOA of 16 kts is assumed. Using the speed-time-
distance equation, a total time in transit of 285 hours, or 11 days and 21
hours is obtained.
Second: Norfolk is in time zone +5R while Naples is located in time zone -
1A. Consequently, 6 hours will be lost due to time zone changes during
the transit. The ship must depart Norfolk 12 days and 3 hours before the
scheduled arrival in Naples. Subtracting this time from the ETA of 0800A
30 June yields a departure time from Norfolk of 0500R 18 June. An
alternative method would be to convert the ETA to GMT, subtract 285
hours, then convert this GMT time to +5R for Norfolk.
Tides and currents must be taken into account when determining ETD and
ETA as the calculated underway and arrival
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times may need to be adjusted to compensate for these factors.
Plotting the intended track:
The navigator will consult a climatologically summary provided by the
National Oceanography Command Center, in order to account for prevailing
weather for the period of the transit. This survey provides normal wind
speeds and directions, wave heights, currents, and the probability of rain and
storms enroute. Other sources of this type of information are the appropriate
editions of Sailing Directions Planning Guides, and Coast Pilots.
Consulting these references ensures that the optimum route is chosen
for the voyage. It is possible that heavy weather could slow a ship along
a great circle route, and that a longer track may save time by avoiding
bad weather.
An Optimum Track Shipping Routing will also be requested from the
National Oceanography Center. This track is an optimum track for the
specific ship requesting the service based on actual climatological and
hydrographic forecasts covering the time of the voyage.
Once the OTSR is received, it will be compared to the track proposed by
the navigator. The track may be altered to adjust for bad weather
identified by the OTSR.
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After determining the optimum track, the navigator will plot the track
on a gnomonic chart.
The great circle track obtained from this plot is then transferred onto a
mercator chart by picking convenient points every 300 to 500 miles
apart and plotting them on the mercator projection (see App. A).
These points are labeled either with letters or sequential alphanumeric
designation such as R-1, R-2 etc. These points are then connected
with rhumb lines.
Since the area covered by the chart depicting the North Atlantic is so
large and the scale so small, the points on the track are also plotted on
larger scale, smaller area charts for day-to-day use.
Completing the Track:
After the track from point A off Hampton Roads to the entrance to Naples
has been laid down, the exit track from Norfolk and the entrance track to
Naples are both plotted on the appropriate charts.
The navigator then measures the distance along the rhumb line tracks and
compares the total to the distance obtained from Publication No. 151,
Distance Between Ports. After computing the speed of advance for each
leg, each junction point on the large-scale chart is labeled with the distance
remaining to the
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and Time

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destination and the computed ETA at each point, expressed in both
GMT and local time zone. As a minimum, each rhumb line
segment on the large-scale plot should be labeled with the track
direction and speed of advance, and each junction point should be
labeled with the distance remaining and the ETA in local time zone.
--Position of intended movement (PIM): The theoretical position of
the ship on the intended track at any time. The PIM moves along
the track at the SOA, and the actual ships position can be
described in relation to it. If the ship arrives two hours ahead of
the planned ETA at point C, for example, it is said that the ship is
two hours ahead of PIM at that point.

Voyage Planning
and Time

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Misc. Considerations
Ships position log - Navy directives require that legal
document be maintained when ship is underway
located on Bridge and CIC
fixes recorded with accompanying depth soundings,
intermediate DR positions, and set/drift of current
Ships position report - formal report from Navigator to
Commanding Officer of position of ship at 0800, 1200, and
2000 when ship is underway
standard format
distance to/ETA at next track junction point
amount of time ship ahead/behind intended track
MOVREP - several days prior to underway ship submits
movement report
informs impending departure of ship
detailed description of every waypoint in planned track
ETA
SHIP REQUIRED TO STAY W/N +/- 4 HOURS OR +/- 50 NM
OF PIM - UPDATE MOVEREP IF NOT

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LOGREQ - sent several days prior to entering port
ships arrival/departure dates/times
any services or logistic support required
Captains Night Orders -
drafted by Navigator and signed by Commanding
Officer
supplementary instructions of activities each watch
is to carry out at night
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Voyage Planning
Voyage Plan problem: Need to be in Augusta
Bay, Crete by 1600 (-1A) on the 17th of
September. Its 5085 miles from Norfolk.
Youre authorized 16 kts. When do you
leave?
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Example
Step 1:
5085 miles divide by 16 kts.
It will take 318 hours to get from Norfolk to
Augusta Bay at 16 kts.
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Example
Step 2: Convert ETA to Z time.
1600 (-1A) is 1500 Z
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Example
Step 3: Divide 318 by 24.
13 days
remainder of 6 hours
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Example
Subtract 13 days 6 hours from ETA
1500 Z 17 Sept
0600 13

ETD: 0900Z 04 Sept

transfer to local time = +5R
ETD: 0400R 04 Sept

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Voyage Planning problems:
A ship leaves Norfolk, VA at 061030 R OCT and arrives at
Cape Town, South Africa (approx. 20 degrees East) at 161545
A OCT. For how many days, hours, and minutes was the ship
underway??
Step 1: convert all times to Zulu





Step 2: subtract the times
061030 R OCT 161545 A OCT
+5R -1A
061530 Z OCT 161445 Z OCT
16 14 45 Z OCT
-06 15 30 Z OCT
09days 23hrs 15min
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Homework
Workbook Chapter 15
Section 1: Time
4 9
Read Weather chapter in your workbook (Appendix A
Basic Meteorology)
25 OCT Exam Review (Read Chapters 16-19)
Celestial ppt. On web. = pay attention to basics of
each coordinate system
30 OCT Exam #2