Question 64 FCP01 - First Class Pilot

The Correct Answer is D **Explanation for Option D (Relative bearings) being correct:** In the merchant service (maritime operations), the standard and most practical method for a look-out to report sightings (e.g., ships, land, navigational hazards) is using **relative bearings**. * **Definition:** A relative bearing is the angle measured clockwise from the ship's own bow (fore-and-aft line). The bow is always $000^\circ$ relative. * **Practicality:** Relative bearings are immediately observable and reported by the look-out without needing to consult a magnetic compass or gyro repeater. The look-out simply uses the ship's structure (like the mast, bridge wings, or deck lines) as a reference point. * **Efficiency:** This system allows for rapid reporting (e.g., "Ship, one point on the starboard bow," or "Object, $045^\circ$ relative") which is crucial for safety and collision avoidance, especially in high-traffic areas. The officer of the watch (OOW) then takes this relative bearing and converts it to a true or magnetic bearing if necessary for plotting or maneuvering. **Explanation for why the other options are incorrect:** * **A) Magnetic bearings:** Magnetic bearings are measured from magnetic North. While useful for navigation, they are highly dependent on the ship's magnetic compass, which is usually located on the bridge. Requiring the look-out (who might be stationed forward or on a wing) to simultaneously read an accurate magnetic compass while sighting an object complicates and slows down the critical initial reporting process. Furthermore, magnetic compasses are subject to deviation (errors caused by the ship's structure). * **B) True bearings:** True bearings are measured from True North. These require consulting the ship's gyrocompass or applying variation to the magnetic bearing. It is impractical and unrealistic to expect a look-out to instantly determine and report a precise true bearing without utilizing equipment readily available on the bridge, which defeats the purpose of rapid reporting from the look-out station. True bearings are used by the OOW for plotting, not by the look-out for initial reporting. * **C) Gyro bearings:** Gyro bearings are essentially true bearings (or very close to them, depending on the gyro error). They require the use of a gyro repeater or bearing circle. While the OOW uses gyro bearings extensively, requiring the look-out to accurately align a bearing circle and read the repeater immediately upon sighting an object is cumbersome, unnecessary, and slower than simply stating the relative position.