🔍 Key Concepts

• Relative bearing change and what it tells you about CPA (Closest Point of Approach) to a fixed object • Effect of wind from SSW on set and drift in Long Island Sound area (likely setting you in a general direction) • How a slowly changing bearing to a fixed aid to navigation relates to passing distance and risk of shoal water

💭 Think About

• If a fixed buoy’s bearing changes very little over 15 minutes, what does that say about whether you are closing on it, passing close by, or moving away from it? • With wind now from SSW and freshening, in which general direction might your vessel be set, and how would that affect your track relative to Middle Ground Shoal and buoy 18? • Which option (altering closer, standing on, or altering away/increasing bearing rate) best reduces risk when there is uncertainty about set toward shoal water?

✅ Before You Answer

• Compare the rate of change of bearing (1° in 15 minutes) to what you would expect if you were passing safely clear of the buoy. • Think about whether a small change in bearing over time indicates a small or large CPA to the buoy. • Verify which maneuver would increase the bearing rate from the buoy and whether that generally means your CPA is increasing or decreasing.