Deck General · Shiphandling — Pivot Point
When a vessel is making headway, her pivot point is located approximately:
- AOne-quarter to one-third of the length abaft the bow✓ Correct
- BAt the stern
- CExactly amidships
- DAt the rudder
Explanation
With headway the pivot point lies roughly a quarter to a third of the length from the bow. The stern therefore swings out widely in a turn. When making sternway the pivot point shifts aft, and the bow swings out instead.
Authority: Knight's Modern Seamanship
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