Module 1 - Nautical Terms
Directions and Movement
What you will learn
Distinguish heading, desired course or track, course steered, track made good and bearing by naming the direction and its reference.
Navigation terms are useful only when the listener knows whether a number describes the bow, an intended line, an achieved path or an object—and whether it is true, magnetic, compass or relative.
Windward means towards the wind and leeward means away from it. Ahead and astern are along the vessel's centreline; abeam is approximately at right angles to it. These are relative descriptions and should be paired with port or starboard when the side matters.
Heading is the direction in which the bow points. Track is the path over the ground. Course is used in several qualified ways, so a Coastal-level brief should say what is meant: desired track, course to steer, course steered or course made good. Tide, current, leeway and steering variation can make those values differ.
A bearing is the direction of an object or position. It may be relative to the vessel's head or referred to true, magnetic or compass north. Write the reference—such as 084°T or 030° relative—whenever ambiguity could change the decision.
Worked example
A yacht's bow points 070°T while its recorded path over the ground is 082°T. A lighthouse is 40° on the starboard bow.
- 1Record 070°T as the true heading because it describes where the bow points.
- 2Record 082°T as the ground track or course made good because it describes the path achieved over the ground.
- 3Record the lighthouse as 040° relative, or convert it to an explicitly labelled north-referenced bearing before plotting it.
Sense check: The 12-degree difference does not by itself diagnose one cause; tide, leeway, steering and measurement interval must be considered.
| Term | Question it answers | Example label |
|---|---|---|
| Heading | Where is the bow pointing? | 070°T heading |
| Desired track | Which ground line do we intend? | 090°T desired track |
| Course to steer | What direction should be steered for that plan? | 084°T CTS |
| Track / CMG | What path was actually made over the ground? | 096°T CMG |
| Bearing | In what direction is the object? | 315°T or 045° relative |
Label every direction before comparing it
The passage plan shows a desired track of 090°T. The helmsman is steering 084°C, the bow's true heading is 088°T, and the recorded course made good is 096°T. Those numbers are not contradictory; they describe different references and outcomes.
1. Identify the quantity
Decide whether the number is a heading, intended or steered course, achieved track, or bearing.
2. Identify the reference
Mark it true, magnetic, compass or relative as appropriate.
3. Compare like with like
Convert references and account for the relevant effects before treating a difference as an error.
Sense check: A naked three-figure number is not enough when one person means compass heading and another means true track.
Common mistake or limitation
- Heading and track are not synonyms. A cross-current can change the path over the ground while the bow keeps the same heading.
- The word 'course' is overloaded. Add desired, to steer, steered or made good when the context could be misunderstood.
- A bearing without a true, magnetic, compass or relative reference can be unusable or dangerous when transferred to a chart or another instrument.
Recap
- Heading describes the bow; track describes the path over the ground.
- Qualify course language so the intended, steered and achieved directions are not confused.
- Every operational bearing should carry its true, magnetic, compass or relative reference.
Optional quick check
Section 7 of 9
The bow points 070°T while the yacht's recorded path over the ground is 082°T. Which labels are correct?
Sources and factual review
Reviewed 2 September 2026 - Compass Revision editorial review.
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