What term is used for the direction a ship points at any given moment?

What term is used for the direction a ship points at any given moment?

• A. Bearing
• B. Heading
• C. Course
• D. Track

Answer: (B)

Heading is the direction a ship is pointing at any given moment. It represents the vessel’s orientation, usually shown as degrees from north on a compass (true or magnetic heading). This can differ from the course, which is the direction the ship is intended to travel over the ground, and from the track, which is the actual path the ship follows. Bearing, meanwhile, describes the direction from the ship to a distant reference point, measured from north, not the ship’s own orientation.

Heading is the direction a ship is pointing at any given moment. It represents the vessel’s orientation, usually shown as degrees from north on a compass (true or magnetic heading). This can differ from the course, which is the direction the ship is intended to travel over the ground, and from the track, which is the actual path the ship follows. Bearing, meanwhile, describes the direction from the ship to a distant reference point, measured from north, not the ship’s own orientation.