USCG Exam PracticeRunning fix from a single object
After obtaining a running fix, the navigator notes the vessel is approaching a charted shoal. No additional charted objects are visible for a simultaneous fix. Which technique, used in conjunction with the running fix, is the appropriate method to keep the vessel in safe water?
- A. Plot an estimated position by applying set and drift to the running fix
- B. Apply the doubling-the-angle technique to determine distance off the shoal
- ✓ Establish a danger bearing on the charted object already in use, labelled NMT or NLTCorrect
- D. Take three successive bearings to the same object to form a cocked hat
Why C is correct
Bowditch Ch. 7 §706 describes the danger bearing as the method for keeping a vessel clear of an off-lying hazard using a single charted object, labelled NMT or NLT. Bowditch Ch. 7 §707 confirms that danger bearings supplement fixes to keep the vessel off charted hazards between fixes.