Compass Add East for True (CADET)

The CADET mnemonic can help remember the corrections needed when converting between True North and Compass North bearings. It assists in adjusting for magnetic variation and deviation, which is essential for accurate navigation. Here’s what each letter in CADET represents:

CADET Mnemonic Breakdown

1. C — Compass: Start with the compass bearing, the direction the compass shows on board.
2. AD — Add: Tells us to add Deviation and/or Variation if it is Easterly (as per the E in the mnemonic)
3. E — Easterly: If Deviation or Variation is East, add it to the Compass Bearing. (Therefore, if subtract if Deviation or Variation is West)
4. T — True: The final result after applying these adjustments is the True bearing.

Example Usage

To convert from Compass to True:

Compass ➔ Add Deviation if Easterly, Subtract Devation if Westerly ➔ Add Variation if Easterly, Subtract Variation if Westerly ➔ True

This mnemonic can be reversed when converting a bearing from True to Compass.

1

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