Which statement correctly defines set and drift in navigation?

• A. Set is direction. Drift is speed.
• B. Drift is direction. Set is speed.
• C. Set is distance. Drift is time.
• D. Set is angle. Drift is velocity.

Answer: (A)

Understanding how currents are described in navigation: set and drift refer to the water’s movement relative to the earth. The set is the direction toward which the current is moving, i.e., the bearing of the water. The drift is the speed of that movement, i.e., how fast the water is carrying the vessel. So when a current pushes you toward the northeast at 2 knots, the set is northeast and the drift is 2 knots. This distinction matters because the vessel’s track over ground is the vector sum of your speed through the water and the current’s set and drift. The other statements mix up direction and speed or assign unrelated quantities, which doesn’t reflect how currents are described in navigation.