Sway involves movement along which axis?

Sway involves movement along which axis?

• A. X axis
• B. Y axis (port-starboard)
• C. Z axis
• D. Diagonal axis

Answer: (B)

Sway is the vessel’s side-to-side motion along the port-starboard axis, the lateral Y axis. The X axis handles fore-and-aft movement (surge), and the Z axis handles vertical movement (heave). The diagonal axis isn’t used for primary linear motion. So moving left or right across the beam corresponds to sway along the port-starboard direction.

Sway is the vessel’s side-to-side motion along the port-starboard axis, the lateral Y axis. The X axis handles fore-and-aft movement (surge), and the Z axis handles vertical movement (heave). The diagonal axis isn’t used for primary linear motion. So moving left or right across the beam corresponds to sway along the port-starboard direction.