SAILING GLOSSARY

Heading

Heading is the direction in which the front of the boat is pointing, expressed in degrees from 0° to 360° starting from north. For example, a heading of 090° means that the boat is pointing east. The heading can be determined using a compass or an electronic navigation instrument. It should not be confused with course over ground, which corresponds to the direction the boat is actually traveling over the bottom, especially when wind or current causes it to drift.