While on a course of 138°T, a light bears 14° on the starboard bow at a distance of 8.6 miles. What course should you steer to pass 3 miles abeam of the light leaving it to starboard?

Question

While on a course of 138&deg;T, a light bears 14&deg; on the starboard bow at a distance of 8.6 miles. What course should you steer to pass 3 miles abeam of the light leaving it to starboard?

Accepted Answer

Option B: 132&deg;T. Current distance off is 8.6 * sin(14 degrees) = 2.08 miles. To increase to 3 miles, the required course change is arcsin((3 - 2.08) / 8.6) = 6.1 degrees. Subtracting this shift away from the light from the original course of 138 degrees T results in a new course of 132 degrees T.

While on a course of 138&deg;T, a light bears 14&deg; on the starboard bow at a distance of 8.6 miles. What course should you steer to pass 3 miles abeam of the light leaving it to starboard?

While on a course of 138°T, a light bears 14° on the starboard bow at a distance of 8.6 miles. What course should you steer to pass 3 miles abeam of the light leaving it to starboard?