Coastal Navigation Practice Exam

How do you correct your plot for instrument error when fixing your position?

Apply known instrument errors (visual bearings, compass deviation, radar misalignment) to adjust the plotted lines so they reflect true data. Ignore instrument error as negligible. Adjust only the compass deviation, ignoring other errors. Replace the instrument with a new one.

Correct Answer:

Apply known instrument errors (visual bearings, compass deviation, radar misalignment) to adjust the plotted lines so they reflect true data.

Explanation:

Correcting your plot for instrument error means adjusting each observation by its known bias before you plot, so the lines of position reflect true data. Compass deviation, visual bearing errors, and radar misalignment all bias bearings and ranges, so you apply those corrections to transform the observed measurements into the true lines of position. Then you intersect the corrected lines to obtain a more accurate fix. Ignoring errors or changing only one type of error leaves biased data on the plot, and replacing the instrument doesn’t fix the data you’ve already plotted.

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