đ Key Concepts
⢠Turning circle definition in ship handling
⢠Difference between a shipâs geometric center and its extreme points (bow, stern, sides)
⢠What point on the ship actually traces the circular path when you look at maneuvering trials
đ Think About
⢠When a ship makes a fullârudder turn during a turning circle trial, imagine tracking one specific point on the ship: which point would give a clean, unbroken circle on the chart?
⢠If you tied a pencil to the ship at different locations (bow, stern, side, or a central point), which pencil location would best represent the shipâs âoverallâ motion in the water?
⢠Think about stability terms like center of gravity and tipping center: are those normally used to define maneuvering paths, or to describe how the ship balances and heels?
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Before You Answer
⢠Verify which option is used in standard maneuvering definitions (e.g., tactical diameter, advance) in shipâhandling texts.
⢠Check whether the outermost part of the ship would always stay the same point when the ship rolls, pitches, or yaws during a turn.
⢠Confirm that the point used for a turning circle must be a fixed reference point on the hull whose motion best represents the vesselâs path, not a point that shifts with loading or sea state.