Quote:
Originally Posted by gazpode_l
Just trying to get my head around those small incidental bearings (EG NNW, SSE, SSW, NEE etc etc)  |
Don't be hard on yourself.
Pisces has listed the exact points for us, which are the ones to use when making your plot. He has also given you an excellent link -- I have that chart in front of me at all times when playing.
But "SSE" in the game means
approximately 157.5 heading... it can be 11 points either way, which adds up quickly over a long distance. In addition, contact speed, even when reported at a seemingly precise "9 knots" can be anywhere from 9 to 10 knots. "Fast" "Slow" "Medium" are even more vague.
So even if you plotted an perfect intercept for a 9-knot ship bearing 157.5, it might well be sailing at 10 knots on 167 and nowhere to be seen when you show up. Hydrophones can often bail you out, though.
Also, contacts don't stay on course forever. Single ships tend to follow predictable paths that require turns, and convoys often turn 90 degrees for safety.
[The following may be a GWX thing, I don't remember]
On your navigation map, there is a question mark on the upper-right menu. Hitting it enhances your navigation tools, giving you a compass rose that makes it easier to plot intercepts.