What does bearing mean?

• A. The direction to a fixed object from your vessel, expressed in degrees relative to north.
• B. The speed of your vessel relative to the water.
• C. An angle between bow and stern.
• D. The wind direction relative to the vessel.

Answer: (A)

In navigation, bearing is the direction from your vessel to a fixed object, expressed as degrees measured from north. This gives you a precise line of sight to a lighthouse, buoy, or other landmark, which you can use to plot where you are or where you’re going. It’s typically a true bearing—relative to true north—unless you’re converting for magnetic navigation, in which case you’d adjust for variation.

This differs from the speed of your vessel relative to the water, which is a measurement of how fast you’re moving rather than direction. It also isn’t the angle between the bow and stern, which would be an internal angle of the vessel, not a bearing to an object. And it isn’t the wind direction relative to the vessel, which is the direction the wind is coming from (wind bearing), not the direction to a fixed object.