If the ship heads east, where will Polaris be relative to the vessel?

Prepare for the Water Survival 929 Test. Use flashcards, multiple choice questions, hints, and explanations. Get water safe!

Multiple Choice

If the ship heads east, where will Polaris be relative to the vessel?

Polaris sits near true north in the sky. When the ship is heading east, the bow points east and the left side of the vessel faces north. A star near north will thus appear on the port beam, which is the ship’s left side. So Polaris will be on the port beam. (For reference: heading west puts Polaris on the starboard beam, heading north makes it dead ahead, and heading south makes it dead astern.)

Polaris sits near true north in the sky. When the ship is heading east, the bow points east and the left side of the vessel faces north. A star near north will thus appear on the port beam, which is the ship’s left side. So Polaris will be on the port beam. (For reference: heading west puts Polaris on the starboard beam, heading north makes it dead ahead, and heading south makes it dead astern.)

More practice questions