You are steaming on a course of 025°T at 15.5 knots. At 0645 you observe a lighthouse bearing 059°T. At 0655 the same lighthouse bears 075°T. What is your distance off at the second bearing?

Question

You are steaming on a course of 025&deg;T at 15.5 knots. At 0645 you observe a lighthouse bearing 059&deg;T. At 0655 the same lighthouse bears 075&deg;T. What is your distance off at the second bearing?

Accepted Answer

Option C: 5.3 miles. The run distance is 2.58 miles over 10 minutes. With relative bearings of 34 degrees and 50 degrees, the distance off at the second bearing is 5.3 miles. This calculation follows the standard Bowditch procedure for determining distance off using two bearings and the distance run between them.

You are steaming on a course of 025&deg;T at 15.5 knots. At 0645 you observe a lighthouse bearing 059&deg;T. At 0655 the same lighthouse bears 075&deg;T. What is your distance off at the second bearing?

You are steaming on a course of 025°T at 15.5 knots. At 0645 you observe a lighthouse bearing 059°T. At 0655 the same lighthouse bears 075°T. What is your distance off at the second bearing?