Under the DR procedure, what should you label on each fix?

Master the Navigation, Seamanship, and Shiphandling (NSS) – Officer of the Deck (OOD) Phase 2 Exam with engaging flashcards and multiple choice questions, complete with hints and explanations. Prepare comprehensively for your test!

Multiple Choice

Under the DR procedure, what should you label on each fix?

When you’re using the dead-reckoning procedure, you’re building the estimated position from what you intentionally do at sea: the course steered, the speed over ground, and how long you’ve been propagating that motion. For each fix you plot, you record those three parameters plus the distance you’ve run along the dead-reckoned line since the last fix—the DR out. This keeps a complete record so you can reconstruct exactly how the DR position was obtained and check it against any later observed position. The double note of DR out is simply a standard practice to show progress along the DR path and to provide redundancy for verification. Other items like depth/tide or wind alone do not drive the DR position, so listing them on every fix would not support the DR calculation.

When you’re using the dead-reckoning procedure, you’re building the estimated position from what you intentionally do at sea: the course steered, the speed over ground, and how long you’ve been propagating that motion. For each fix you plot, you record those three parameters plus the distance you’ve run along the dead-reckoned line since the last fix—the DR out. This keeps a complete record so you can reconstruct exactly how the DR position was obtained and check it against any later observed position. The double note of DR out is simply a standard practice to show progress along the DR path and to provide redundancy for verification. Other items like depth/tide or wind alone do not drive the DR position, so listing them on every fix would not support the DR calculation.

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