Question 860Navigation General

The correct answer is D) the wind's speed equals the ship's speed. The apparent wind is the wind that is felt on the ship, which is a combination of the true wind (the actual wind blowing) and the wind generated by the ship's motion. When the ship's speed equals the true wind's speed, and the true wind is from dead ahead, the apparent wind's speed will be zero. This is because the wind generated by the ship's motion exactly cancels out the true wind, resulting in no net apparent wind. The other options are incorrect because: A) the true wind's direction does not need to be on the beam; B) the true wind's speed does not need to be zero; and C) the true wind does not need to be from dead ahead, as long as the ship's speed equals the true wind's speed.