How is a position fix obtained on a chart?

• A. By intersecting two or more Lines of Position from known fixes or observations.
• B. By using a single LOP alone.
• C. By measuring depth at two locations.
• D. By aligning compass with true north.

Answer: (A)

To obtain a position fix on a chart you use two or more independent Lines of Position. Each observation that provides a reference—such as a bearing to a known lighthouse, a measured distance to a charted object, or a celestial sight—produces a line on the chart along which your ship must lie. When you plot at least two of these lines from different observations, their intersection pinpoints your exact location on the chart. With only one line, you know you’re somewhere along that line but not your exact spot, so you don’t have a true fix. Depth measurements at two locations don’t directly yield a chart fix, and aligning a compass with true north only gives direction information, not your position.