Distances, Intervals & Station Keeping
Measuring distance
The distance between adjacent ships is measured between their foremasts, or between navigation bridges in ships without foremasts.
Unless otherwise ordered, the standard distance between adjacent ships of similar type when forming a line is: very large ship 1000 yards, large ship 500 yards, small ship 300 yards.
Interval between lines
The distance between lines (the interval) is the distance between their respective guides.
Manoeuvring Interval (MI) is the sum of the standard distances in the longest line, plus one standard distance.
Extended manoeuvring interval is MI plus 500 yards, unless otherwise ordered, to allow for station keeping errors.
Worked example
Four small ships in a column: three gaps at 300 yards gives 900 yards of standard distances in that line. MI = 900 + 300 = 1200 yards. Extended MI = 1700 yards.
End-of-module quiz
1. Distance between adjacent ships is measured:
2. Standard distance between adjacent large ships forming a line:
3. Manoeuvring Interval is:
4. Extended manoeuvring interval is:
5. Three small ships in a single column give an MI of: