USCG Exam PracticeDanger bearings and danger circles
Between fixes, a navigator uses a danger bearing to monitor the vessel's clearance from a reef. According to Bowditch, what is the primary advantage of this technique over waiting for the next scheduled fix?
- A. It provides a more accurate position than a three-bearing fix
- ✓ It keeps the vessel off charted hazards continuously using a single observed bearingCorrect
- C. It eliminates the need to advance a line of position along the DR track
- D. It replaces the DR track when course or speed changes are made
Why B is correct
Bowditch Ch. 7 §707 states that danger bearings and clearing lines supplement the fix to keep the vessel off charted hazards between fixes. A single continuous bearing observation provides ongoing clearance monitoring without requiring a full fix.