What is a course in navigation?

• A. The ship's speed over water
• B. The intended direction or path of a vessel over the ground
• C. The vertical angle of a lighthouse beam
• D. The boat's maximum draft

Answer: (B)

In navigation, a course is the intended direction or path of a vessel over the ground. It’s the direction you plan to steer to reach a destination and is often written as a true or magnetic course. The course you set determines where you want the boat to go, but your actual path can be affected by wind and current, so you may need to adjust to stay on that course. This concept is separate from speed over water (how fast you move through the water), the vertical angle of a lighthouse beam (a different kind of measurement entirely), or the boat’s maximum draft (how deep the hull sits in the water).