Navigation With Leeway And Magnetic Declination

[Nacnud]

A simple question: Are leeway and magnetic declination simulated in the open world navigation?

 

Leeway is the amount of drift motion to leeward of an object floating in the water caused by the component of the wind vector that is perpendicular to the object’s forward motion.

 

Magnetic declination or variation is the angle on the horizontal plane between magnetic north (the direction the north end of a compass needle points, corresponding to the direction of the Earth's magnetic field lines) and true north (the direction along a meridian towards the geographic North Pole). This angle varies depending on position on the Earth's surface, and changes over time.

 

Both effects are big problems for realistic navitation with just a compass. A sailboat isn't always moving in the direction it is pointing and the needle of the compass isn't exactly pointing north. A boat is always pushed a bit sideways by wind and/or current. The longer the distance and the more tackings the bigger the effect.

 

If these effects are omitted in the simulation of the open world, then it's simple.

 

But would'nt it be a challenge? What tools would we need?

 

 

[Prater]

No, they aren't, but I'm pretty sure the compass isn't 100% accurate, so it is kind of in a way "built in."