Which navigation term describes the direction from your position to a destination, usually expressed in degrees?

• A. Heading
• B. ETA
• C. Bearing
• D. Draft

Answer: (C)

Bearing is the direction from your current position to the destination, expressed as an angle in degrees from north. It tells you which way to steer to reach that point. In navigation, this angle is usually given as true bearing (from geographic north) or magnetic bearing (from magnetic north).

If the destination sits to your northeast, the bearing would be a number around 045 degrees. The vessel’s heading, by contrast, is where the bow is pointing, which can differ from the bearing if there’s drift or if you’re not steering directly toward the target. ETA is the estimated time of arrival, and draft is the depth of the hull below the waterline, neither of which describe direction.