🔍 Key Concepts

• Checking a compass course using a celestial bearing • Relationship between your ship’s heading and the relative bearing of an object used to check that heading • How a bearing taken along the track line behaves if you are on course versus off course

💭 Think About

• If your intended course is 238°T, what direction (relative to your bow) would you want to observe a celestial body in order to see whether you are staying on that exact line? • Think about whether you want the bearing of the body to change rapidly or stay nearly constant if you are exactly on course. • Ask yourself: when checking a course, do you use a bearing that is the same as your heading, opposite your heading, or off to one side? Why?

✅ Before You Answer

• Identify which choice would place the celestial body directly ahead or directly astern of you if you are correctly on course 238°T. • Consider which bearing will give you a clear indication of any sideways (lateral) drift from your intended track. • Verify your understanding of the difference between a course line (track) and a beam or quarter bearing when monitoring your heading.