USCG Exam PracticePlot true course and distance between two charted points
On a Mercator projection chart, a rhumb line between two charted points appears as which of the following?
- A. A curved arc bending toward the nearest pole
- ✓ A straight line crossing all meridians at a constant angleCorrect
- C. A great circle route between the two points
- D. A series of connected waypoints along a parallel of latitude
Why B is correct
Bowditch Ch. 4 §402 states that on the Mercator projection, rhumb lines (constant bearings) appear as straight lines. A great circle would appear as a curve bending toward the pole on a Mercator chart.
Cited:Bowditch Ch. 4 §402