USCG Exam PracticeEstimated position from current set & drift
Between fixes, when current data is available but no new fix can be obtained, which type of position represents the navigator's best estimate of the vessel's actual location?
- A. The DR position, because it uses course and speed directly
- B. The fix, because it is the last confirmed position
- ✓ The estimated position (EP), because it corrects the DR position for set and driftCorrect
- D. The course-made-good position, because it accounts for leeway
Why C is correct
Bowditch Ch. 8 §803 explicitly states that the EP is the best position available between fixes when only the current can be estimated, because it applies the current vector to the DR position to better approximate the vessel's actual location over the ground.
Cited:Bowditch Ch. 8 §803