🔍 Key Concepts

• Heaving-to in strong winds – how a sailing vessel drifts when hove to on a particular tack • Relative bearings and DR plotting – sketch your own position, heading, and the shoal on a simple diagram • Leeway and set of the wind – which way will you actually move over the ground with wind from the northeast while on the starboard tack?

💭 Think About

• Draw a quick sketch with north up: show your heading (000°T), the wind direction (from NE), and the shoal’s bearing (270°T, 5 miles). From that picture, which way are you likely drifting? • When hove to on the starboard tack, which side of the boat is the wind on, and toward which side will you tend to make leeway? How does that relate to the location of the shoal to the west? • In 45 knots of wind, which options increase control and separation from the shoal, and which might reduce control or accidentally set you toward it?

✅ Before You Answer

• Verify the direction of your drift/set when hove to on starboard tack in a NE wind – are you moving generally toward or away from the shoal to the west? • Check which choice changes your tack and heading in a way that gives you more room from the shoal, not less. • Eliminate any option that assumes you are safe without monitoring or that would leave you with less controlled motion in 45 knots near a dangerous shoal.