You are steaming on course 168°T at a speed of 18 knots. At 1426 you sight a buoy bearing 144°T. At 1435 you sight the same buoy bearing 116°T. What is your distance off at the second bearing and predicted distance when abeam?

Correct Answer: Option A — 2.3 miles 2nd bearing, 1.8 miles abeam

Standard Bowditch special-case bearings (doubling the angle on the bow) dictate that distance off at the second bearing equals the run between bearings. At 18 knots for 9 minutes, the run is 2.7 miles, which equals the second bearing distance and predicts 1.8 miles abeam.