You desire to make good a true course of 174°. The variation is 17°W, magnetic compass deviation is 4°W, and gyrocompass error is 4°E. A west-southwest wind produces a 4° leeway. What is the course to steer per standard magnetic compass to make the true course good?
Official USCG Answer & Rule Citation
Correct Answer: Option A — 199°psc
A WSW wind pushes the vessel to the ENE, requiring a 4-degree correction to the left of the desired track. Starting with the True Course (174), subtract 4 degrees for leeway, then apply Variation (17W) and Deviation (4W) using the Can Dead Men Vote Twice At Elections rule to arrive at 199 degrees PSC.
100% Free & Open Access — No daily limits, paywalls, or gated answers on BrightMariner.