What is the maximum length of any archipelagic baseline segment?

Master the Navigation, Seamanship, and Shiphandling (NSS) – Officer of the Deck (OOD) Phase 2 Exam with engaging flashcards and multiple choice questions, complete with hints and explanations. Prepare comprehensively for your test!

Archipelagic baselines are drawn by connecting outermost points of the island groups with straight segments, but each segment between adjacent basepoints has a strict length limit. The rule is that no single archipelagic baseline segment may exceed 100 nautical miles. This keeps the configuration of baselines practical and preserves navigational access, while allowing multiple shorter segments to cover the archipelago. Therefore, the maximum length for a baseline segment is 100 NM. Shorter segments are allowed, and there is no requirement that every segment be exactly 100 NM; options claiming 200 NM or unlimited length do not fit the rule.