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and piers are helpful in referring to a contact's loca-
tion. Here are some examples:
2500 YARDS—VERY CLOSE AND TO THE
RIGHT OF RED BELL BUOY NUMBER 4.
4 MILES—PASSING THROUGH THE
BRIDGE OPENING AT THIS TIME
6 MILES—ABOUT 500 YARDS TO THE
LEFT OF THAT EARLIER REPORTED
DESTROYER
NOTE: Though ranges are given and reported in
yards/miles, it is also in your interest to learn to
convert these distances to the metric system; that is,
meters/kilometers. One meter equals approximately
1.1 yard; 1 kilometer (1,000 meters) equals approx-
imately 0.6 mile.
Speed Estimation
Speeds can be either easy or difficult to estimate,
depending on how far away the contact is. Just as
references are needed for ranges, speed references are
also needed. Knowing your own-ship's speed at all
times can be a valuable aid in estimating other ship's
speeds. A question to ask yourself is “How fast is the
ship going in relation to me?” If your ship is steam-
ing at 10 knots and is overtaking a ship on your star-
board side, steaming a few knots slower than you are,
it is safe to estimate the other ship's speed at about
5 to 8 knots. If a ship on your port side is overtaking
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