This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Any IP. (talk | contribs) at 07:31, 27 February 2007 (rm "stub" -- there is nothing more to say about that term (myself having taught navigation for a few years)). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.
Revision as of 07:31, 27 February 2007 by Any IP. (talk | contribs) (rm "stub" -- there is nothing more to say about that term (myself having taught navigation for a few years))(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)A course, in navigation, is the direction of travel.
The term, even in navigation, can be ambiguous because there are several types of course:
- course is the general term describing the bearing to be followed to move from the starting point to a particular target
- heading is the direction the vessel or vehicle is pointing toward - it may be necessary to point away from the intended course to counteract the effects of a cross wind or tidal current or some other force
- track is the actual direction of travel irrespective of the heading