While on a course of 152°T, a light bears 9° on the port bow at a distance of 11.6 miles. What course should you steer to pass 3 miles abeam of the light leaving it to port?

Question

While on a course of 152&deg;T, a light bears 9&deg; on the port bow at a distance of 11.6 miles. What course should you steer to pass 3 miles abeam of the light leaving it to port?

Accepted Answer

Option B: 158&deg;. Current distance off is 11.6 * sin(9 degrees) = 1.81 miles. To increase to 3 miles, the required course change is arcsin((3 - 1.81) / 11.6) = 5.9 degrees. Adding this shift away from the light to the original course of 152 degrees T results in a new course of 158 degrees.

While on a course of 152&deg;T, a light bears 9&deg; on the port bow at a distance of 11.6 miles. What course should you steer to pass 3 miles abeam of the light leaving it to port?

While on a course of 152°T, a light bears 9° on the port bow at a distance of 11.6 miles. What course should you steer to pass 3 miles abeam of the light leaving it to port?