🔍 Key Concepts

• Set and drift of current and how they affect course made good • Effect of leeway (from a westerly wind) on the vessel’s track • Using vector triangles to combine ship’s speed, current, and leeway

💭 Think About

• First, draw or visualize the current vector (125° at 0.6 kn) and your desired track (347°T). How does the current push you relative to your desired track? • At 12.5 knots through the water, is the current a large or small component? How much will it change your heading from the desired track? • A westerly wind gives you 3° of leeway. Does leeway push your bow toward the wind or away from the wind, and therefore should you steer more to the east or more to the west to compensate?

✅ Before You Answer

• Make sure you treat 347°T as the desired course made good, not the heading through the water • Confirm the direction of set: 125° is the direction TOWARD which the current flows, not from which it comes • Apply the leeway correction in the correct sense: if the wind is from the west, verify whether your actual track will be to the right or left of your heading, and adjust your steering course accordingly