Leeway

The sideways movement of a vessel through the water caused mainly by wind acting on its exposed surfaces.

Leeway carries a vessel downwind of the direction in which it is heading. The leeway angle is the angle between the vessel’s heading and its resulting track through the water, and it varies with wind strength, point of sail, hull and keel form, sail plan, speed and sea state.

A navigator may allow for leeway when choosing a course. Tidal stream and ocean current also alter the course made good over the ground, but those effects are normally calculated separately rather than described as leeway.

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