USCG Exam PracticeThree-bearing fix and cocked-hat triangle
A navigator plots a three-bearing fix and obtains a small cocked hat with no hazards nearby. The vessel's position should be taken as:
- A. The corner of the triangle closest to the nearest charted aid
- ✓ The centre of the triangleCorrect
- C. The intersection of the two most widely separated LOPs, ignoring the third
- D. The point where the most recently observed LOP crosses the DR track
Why B is correct
Bowditch Ch. 7 §705 states that a small cocked hat indicates a good fix and the position is taken at its centre. The corner-nearest-danger rule applies only when the triangle lies near a hazard.
Cited:Bowditch Ch. 7 §705