Chart Navigation & Plotting · Fixes — Cocked Hat
Three simultaneous bearings cross to form a small triangle (a 'cocked hat'). The most prudent assumed position is:
- AAt the most distant vertex
- BExactly at the centroid regardless of hazards
- COutside the triangle on the safe side
- DWithin the triangle, biased toward any nearby danger✓ Correct
Explanation
A cocked hat indicates small bearing or timing errors. The position is taken inside the triangle, but for safety the navigator biases the assumed position toward any nearby charted danger so that the estimate is conservative. A large cocked hat warns of a gross error to be resolved.
Authority: Bowditch (Pub. No. 9), Fix by Bearings
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