🔍 Key Concepts

• Vector addition of velocities: how true wind, ship’s motion, and apparent wind relate as vectors • Converting relative bearings (from the bow) to true bearings using the ship’s heading • Using law of cosines or right‑triangle trig to find the true wind speed from apparent wind and ship’s speed

💭 Think About

• Sketch the ship’s course line (320°T) and draw the apparent wind 30° off the starboard bow relative to the ship. How do you convert that to a true direction? • Remember that the apparent wind is what you feel on deck. In vector terms, is apparent wind equal to true wind plus ship’s motion, or true wind minus ship’s motion? • Once you set up the triangle of velocities (ship’s speed, true wind, apparent wind), which angle do you know between the vectors, and how can you use that angle to solve for the unknown side and angles?

✅ Before You Answer

• Be clear whether the 30° off the starboard bow is measured from the ship’s head (relative bearing) and then convert correctly to a true bearing using the 320°T course • Check that your computed true wind speed is reasonable: it must be less than, equal to, or greater than 32 knots depending on the geometry—verify which makes sense for wind coming from ahead • Ensure the final relative direction of the true wind (from the bow) matches both your vector diagram and the true bearing you found; both relative and true directions must be consistent with each other