Is Great Circle Sailing Better At Higher Latitudes?

Great circle sailing is a method of navigating a ship along the shortest navigable distance between the point of departure and the point of arrival. It is more accurate for longer voyages, especially those that involve crossing different latitudes, and can save valuable time and fuel. The great circle distance from LAT 35°57.2 N, LONG 05°45.7 W to LAT 24°25.3 N, LONG 83°02.6 W is 3966.5 miles and the initial course is 283.7° T. Along any intersecting meridian, the great circle crosses at a higher latitude than the rhumb line.

The advantages of a great circle are its shorter distance, but there are disadvantages depending on latitude. When either the latitude of the ship or the destination is higher than 60°, there may be instances where even the most ample of the great circle may not reach its highest latitude. The great circle route is shorter than the rhumb line because it crosses meridians at higher latitudes, where the distance between them is less.

A great circle is a shorter arc of the main circle whose plane passes the departure and arrival positions. The differences between a great circle and the rhumb line are that a great circle is locally straight with zero geodesic curvature, whereas a rhumb line has non-zero geodesic curvature. Although the great circle track is the shortest route between two locations, it usually enroutes closer to the pole or to higher latitude than the two other methods.