Which navigation tool shows your current heading relative to magnetic north?

• A. Nautical chart
• B. Compass
• C. Sextant
• D. Radar

Answer: (B)

A compass is the tool that shows your current heading relative to magnetic north. Its magnetized needle aligns with Earth’s magnetic field and points toward magnetic north, so the heading you read is the direction relative to magnetic north.

A nautical chart is a map of the waters and coastline; it helps plan routes and shows hazards, but it doesn’t display your live heading. A sextant is used to measure angles between celestial bodies and the horizon to determine position, not to indicate direction. Radar displays nearby objects to help avoid collisions and navigate safely, but it does not provide a magnetic heading.

In practice, you can convert a compass heading to a true heading by accounting for magnetic variation (the difference between magnetic north and true north) and any radio or instrument deviation, but the instrument that directly shows heading relative to magnetic north is the compass.