Your engines are making turns for 8 knots...

Question 1 of 29218fork_3788d7fb60664b8da5c

Your engines are making turns for 8 knots and a northerly wind is causing 3° of leeway. There is a current of 220°T at 1.5 knots. What is the course to steer between Branford Reef Light and Faulkner Island Light?

Back

Question 1 of 29218

No Illustration

This question does not have an illustration

🔍 Key Concepts

• Leeway caused by wind and how it affects your heading vs. track over ground • Effect of current set and drift (220°T at 1.5 knots) on your course to steer • Vector triangle for course made good: combining ship’s speed, current, and leeway

💭 Think About

• First, if there were no wind and no current, what approximate course would you steer between Branford Reef Light and Faulkner Island Light? (Use your chart or plot.) • Then, think: does a northerly wind push you to the north or to the south? In which direction must you point the bow to counteract 3° of leeway? • How does a current from 220°T flowing at 1.5 knots push your vessel relative to your intended track, given that your engines are making turns for 8 knots?

✅ Before You Answer

• Make sure you apply leeway in the correct direction (toward where the wind is pushing you, not where it’s coming from). • Confirm you are treating the current direction as the direction toward which the current flows (set), not where it comes from. • After constructing your vector triangle, check that your resulting course made good actually lies between Branford Reef Light and Faulkner Island Light on the chart.