🔍 Key Concepts

• Following sea – waves coming from directly behind the vessel • How different sea conditions affect a vessel’s motion (yawing, pitching, pounding, heaving) • The difference between intentional maneuvers (what the operator does) and involuntary motions (what the sea causes)

💭 Think About

• Think about what the waves are doing to the stern of the vessel when they come from behind. How does that affect the vessel’s tendency to swing or slam? • Which option describes a motion that is most likely when waves push on the stern and can make the bow swing off course? • Which of the choices is mainly associated with heading into steep seas, and which are more about deliberate actions taken by the operator?

✅ Before You Answer

• Identify which term describes side-to-side swinging of the bow about the vessel’s heading (check the definition of yaw). • Recall which motion, pounding, usually occurs when running into head seas—not when seas are from directly astern. • Separate operator decisions (like reducing speed or heaving to) from natural motions the vessel tends to make due to following seas.