What is the difference between course and heading?

• A. The vessel's speed relative to water.
• B. The intended path over the ground; heading is the bow's direction at a moment in time.
• C. Course and heading are identical.
• D. The direction your bow is pointing at a moment in time.

Answer: (B)

Course is the path over the ground you intend to follow, while heading is the direction the bow is pointing at a given moment. The vessel’s course is the track you’re trying to achieve across the Earth’s surface, but the actual path can be altered by wind and, especially, current. That means you might steer a heading that isn’t exactly the same as your course in order to keep your desired track over ground. This distinction is why the description that pairs the course as the intended path over the ground with the heading as the bow’s instantaneous direction is the best. The other ideas mix in speed through the water or claim the two are always the same, which doesn’t reflect how drift affects a vessel’s actual track.