What is the difference between true bearing and relative bearing?

• A. True bearing is measured from magnetic north; relative bearing is measured from true north.
• B. True bearing is measured from the ship's heading; relative bearing is measured from magnetic north.
• C. True bearing is measured from the north (true north); relative bearing is measured from your ship's heading.
• D. True bearing is the bearing to the horizon; relative bearing is the bearing to a target.

Answer: (C)

The idea is about what direction you reference when you say a bearing. True bearing uses true north as the reference line, so it tells you where something lies on the globe regardless of your vessel’s orientation. Relative bearing, on the other hand, uses your ship’s heading—the direction the bow is pointing—as the reference, giving the angle to the target from your forward direction.

So, if the ship is pointing a certain heading and you know the target’s true bearing, you can relate the two by subtracting the ship’s heading from the true bearing (mod 360). For example, with a heading of 20 degrees and a target at a true bearing of 60 degrees, the relative bearing would be 40 degrees (to the right). If you turn to a heading of 40 degrees, the same target’s relative bearing would become 20 degrees.

This is why the correct statement says true bearing is measured from true north, while relative bearing is measured from your ship’s heading.