There are 360 degrees in a circle.
yus
Heading or Course (same thing) is the direction you are travelling in:
right
North is always 0 degrees
yes....
As you rotate clockwise the number representing the heading increases so,
East is always 90 degrees
South is always 180 degrees
West is always 270 degrees
yes, still with you
When you get all the way around the circle to 360 degrees, you are back facing North again.
yes
So 0 degrees and 360 degrees BOTH refer to NORTH.
ah, yes, I see. North is 0 because it is, well North, fixed, but it is also 360 degrees on the compass...kay..
Bearing is where something is, relative to the front of your submarine:
so when a boat is spotted and the bearing is given, it isn't HIS bearing - the information isn't that he is (say) heading south (180deg) it is a bearing relative to where MY bow is pointing... eek
Bearing is the numbers you see through the periscope
yes, so if I am looking at a boat through the scope,say at 90, does that mean the boat I am looking at is east of me?
The front of your sub is always 0 degrees
this is where I have been coming unstuck...
As you rotate around your bridge clockwise, the number representing the bearing increases so,
Directly to your right is always 90 degrees
Directly behind you is always 180 degrees
Directly to your left is always 270 degrees
'kay
Example: This is why, in your example, when your crew said a contact was at a bearing of 153, the contact line drawn was behind you and to the right. Because 153 is between 90(directly to your right) and 180(directly behind you)
erm.. right.. its coming, I just have to ponder on it- thank you Steppenwolf, great help