Estimated position is defined as what?

• A. The distance the vessel moves perpendicular to the original course during the turn
• B. The distance along the original course
• C. The distance to the horizon
• D. The distance moved due to current

Answer: (A)

Estimating position during a turn is about how far the vessel has moved sideways from its original track. When you start a turn, the path curves, so you end up displaced laterally relative to the straight line you were on before the turn. That sideways, perpendicular-to-the-original-course distance is the estimate of where you are during the maneuver. It’s not about how far you’ve progressed along the original line, nor about distance to the horizon, and it isn’t just caused by currents—those factors affect your actual course and drift, but the defining measure for the estimated position during a turn is the perpendicular lateral displacement from the original course.