USCG Exam PracticePlot true course and distance between two charted points
On a Mercator projection chart, rhumb lines appear as which of the following?
- ✓ Straight lines of constant bearingCorrect
- B. Curved arcs that converge toward the poles
- C. Great circle routes between two points
- D. Curved lines parallel to the equator
Why A is correct
The Mercator projection presents rhumb lines (constant bearing courses) as straight lines. This is the defining navigational advantage of the Mercator chart for coastal and offshore passage planning.
Cited:Bowditch Ch. 4 §402