Chart Navigation & Plotting · Set & Drift — From DR and Fix

Your 1000 DR position and your simultaneous 1000 fix do not coincide: the fix lies 270°T, 2.0 NM from the DR. The last fix was at 0600. What is the set and drift?

Explanation

Set is the direction FROM the DR TO the fix (the current has carried the vessel to the fix), here 270°T. Drift is the displacement divided by elapsed time: 2.0 NM over 4 hours (0600 to 1000) = 0.5 knots.

Authority: Bowditch (Pub. No. 9), Current Sailing

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