Question 1887Navigation General

The correct answer is B) It cuts each meridian at the same angle. A rhumb line is a navigational line that maintains a constant course angle relative to true north. This means the vessel following a rhumb line will cross each meridian (lines of longitude) at the same angle, creating a spiral pattern on the Earth's surface. This is in contrast to a great circle route, which is the shortest distance between two points but requires constantly changing course. The other options are incorrect because: A) a rhumb line does not plot as a straight line on a Lambert conformal chart, which is a map projection that distorts rhumb lines; C) the course angle does in fact remain constant on a rhumb line; and D) a rhumb line is not the shortest distance between two points, that would be a great circle route.