In relation to currents, what does "set" describe?

In relation to currents, what does "set" describe?

• A. The speed of the vessel through water
• B. The direction toward which the current pushes the vessel
• C. The vessel's acceleration
• D. The weather's effect on sails

Answer: (B)

Set describes the direction toward which the water current pushes the vessel. Currents have both a direction and a speed; the direction is called the set, while the speed of the current is often referred to as the drift. So if the current is setting toward the southwest, the vessel will be pushed that way, and you would account for that in navigation by adjusting your heading to compensate. The other ideas don’t fit because speed through the water is about how fast the boat moves relative to the water (drift), not the direction the current pushes you; acceleration is about changes in speed, not the current’s direction; and the weather’s effect on sails relates to wind, not the water current.

Set describes the direction toward which the water current pushes the vessel. Currents have both a direction and a speed; the direction is called the set, while the speed of the current is often referred to as the drift. So if the current is setting toward the southwest, the vessel will be pushed that way, and you would account for that in navigation by adjusting your heading to compensate.

The other ideas don’t fit because speed through the water is about how fast the boat moves relative to the water (drift), not the direction the current pushes you; acceleration is about changes in speed, not the current’s direction; and the weather’s effect on sails relates to wind, not the water current.