Radar bearings are measured exactly the same as visual bearings.

• A. Approximately
• B. Exactly
• C. Inversely
• D. Randomly

Answer: (B)

Bearings are an angular measurement from a fixed reference line, usually north. Whether you determine that angle by sight or with radar, you’re expressing the same direction from your vessel to the target. The radar shows the azimuth to the target by the antenna angle, and a visual bearing comes from aligning with north using a compass or chart. If you use the same reference (true north or magnetic north) and the same convention (absolute bearing rather than a relative, bow-based angle), the value reported by radar matches the visual bearing exactly. The radar may give a more precise numerical read, while visual bearing can be less exact due to human estimation, but the underlying measurement is the same direction.