While on a course of 019°pgc, a light bears...

Question 1 of 2707066636ee928f7522a1c519451

While on a course of 019°pgc, a light bears 14° on the port bow at a distance of 15.3 miles. What course should you steer to pass 1.5 miles abeam of the light, leaving it to port?

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Question 1 of 27070

While on a course of 019°pgc, a light bears 14° on the port bow at a distance of 15.3 miles. What course should you steer to pass 1.5 miles abeam of the light, leaving it to port?

🔍 Key Concepts

• Relative bearing vs. course – how to convert a bearing on the bow to a true/pgc bearing of the object • Right triangle off-track distance – the 1.5 miles abeam is a perpendicular distance from your track past the light • Small course alteration geometry – using the current range (15.3 miles) and desired closest point of approach (1.5 miles) to find a new relative bearing

💭 Think About

• First, find the present compass bearing of the light from your vessel using your course and the 14° port bow information. Is the light currently ahead of you or already abeam? • Draw (or imagine) the line from your present position to the light. Then mark a point that is 1.5 miles abeam (perpendicular) from the light on the side you want to leave it. What does the line from your ship to that new point look like? • Think about the triangle formed by: the present distance to the light (15.3 miles), the desired abeam distance (1.5 miles), and your track toward the abeam point. What angle change from your present heading does that triangle suggest?

✅ Before You Answer

• Be sure you convert 14° on the port bow into a true/pgc bearing of the light from the ship before doing any geometry. • Confirm that the 1.5 miles abeam is a perpendicular offset from the light, not along the line of sight to the light. • Before picking an answer, check whether your new course should be to the left (more westerly) or to the right (more easterly) of 019°pgc, given that the light is on your port bow and you want to leave it to port.