Position Fixes

Lighthouses, bearings and angles

An interactive lesson with 6 steps, about 5 minutes: you predict, drag and solve, with instant feedback on every answer. It runs in your browser and needs JavaScript.

What you’ll learn

• A bearing on a landmark gives a line of position; two lines give a fix.
• Landmarks about 90° apart give the most reliable fixes.
• A vertical angle to a known height gives distance: a circle of position.

Steps

1. Lines of position
2. Take a fix
3. Choosing landmarks
4. Distance off a lighthouse
5. The cocked hat
6. Over the horizon