Alfredo Contaldovideo

LEEWAY - chartwork beyond 12 miles - unlimited nautical license leeway problems ⛵

October 14, 2023 · 20 min · 25K views

What this video covers

Leeway, or *scarroccio*, represents the lateral displacement of a vessel caused by wind, distinct from current-induced drift because it varies based on the boat's windage area.0:31 Navigators calculate the leeway angle empirically by observing the asymmetry of the wake relative to the centerline; the angle between the true heading and the resulting true course defines the leeway angle.1:33 When calculating navigation problems for the nautical license, leeway to starboard is treated as a positive value, while leeway to port is negative.4:23

Three primary formulas govern these calculations: the leeway angle equals true course minus true heading; true heading equals true course minus leeway; and true course equals true heading plus leeway.6:11 Unlike current, which affects all vessels uniformly, wind impact on speed is specific to each boat and is typically provided in exam problems as a known value derived from the paddlewheel log.7:47 When both wind and current are present, navigators must calculate the surface vector—accounting for leeway—before applying the current vector to determine the final effective course.18:22

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