Chart Navigation & Plotting · Sailings — Course from dLat and Departure

A leg produces 12.0' of northing (dLat) and 16.0 nm of easting (departure). What is the course made good?

Explanation

Course angle = arctan(departure ÷ dLat) = arctan(16.0 ÷ 12.0) = arctan(1.333) ≈ 53.1°. Northing and easting are both positive, so the course is in the NE quadrant: about 053°T.

Authority: Bowditch (Pub. No. 9), plane sailing; course from dLat and departure

Practice the full Chart Navigation & Plotting bank

Free spaced-repetition quizzing across 2190 USCG exam questions — it schedules your reviews so the ones you miss come back until they stick.

Related Chart Navigation & Plotting questions