Your vessel is proceeding up a channel, and you see a pair of range lights that are in line ahead. The chart indicates that the direction of this pair of lights is 212°T, and the variation is 7°W. If the heading of your vessel at the time of the sighting is 208° per standard magnetic compass, what is the correct deviation?

Question

Your vessel is proceeding up a channel, and you see a pair of range lights that are in line ahead. The chart indicates that the direction of this pair of lights is 212&deg;T, and the variation is 7&deg;W. If the heading of your vessel at the time of the sighting is 208&deg; per standard magnetic compass, what is the correct deviation?

Accepted Answer

Option C: 11&deg;E. True heading is 212°. Magnetic heading is True minus Variation (212 - (-7) = 219°M). With a compass heading of 208°C, the deviation is the difference between Magnetic and Compass. Since the compass reads lower than magnetic, the deviation is 11°E (Compass Least, Magnetic Best, Error East).