Question

Sailors use this method of finding their position when they are navigating near shore, sighting on lighthouses, smokestacks, and other landmarks shown on their charts. They call the small triangle formed by the three sighting lines a "cocked hat," and usually mark their position at the corner closest to the nearest hazard. Why is this a sensible rule?

Short answer

Itis a sensible rule to sailors as they take positioning from the corner so as to get an accurate fix.

Step-by-step solution

Step 1. Define cocked hat by sailors.

A small triangle formed by the three sighting lines is called a cocked hat and and usually mark their position at the corner closest to the nearest hazard.

Step 2. State why cocked hat method is used.

Sailors use this method of finding their position when they are navigating near shore, sighting on lighthouses, smokestacks, and other landmarks shown on their charts.

Step 3. State the conclusion.

This is a sensible rule to sailors as they take positioning from the corner so as to get an accurate fix. Sailors take the positioning to get the ship’s position. Therefore, cocked hat rule is a very helpful rule to sailors.