In most of my posts on this subject I have mentioned a trip going east
north west and south. In this post I referred to the original
question, and in the question the trip goes east south west and north,
so in this post the destination would be east of the start-point.
Sorry if anyone got confused.

Peter S/Y Anicula

"Peter S/Y Anicula" skrev i en
meddelelse ...
I was taught that:

Speed is the forward motion through the water
Leeway is the sideways movement of the boat through the water
Current is the movement of the water over the ground
Steered course is the way you point
Sailed course is the direction that you move through the water
Course over the ground (is that called course made good ?) is the
direction you move over the ground
etc.

If one sails as you described in the question (on the northern
hemisphere), one sails toward a destination B that is west of the
starting-point A (if there were no current). The position after 56
hours is point C.
So, If your teacher taught you that when you sail from A toward B
and
arrive at C then AC is the "current" then he must have been an
electrician and not a sailor. You could justify to call BC for
current, though the distance might be a result of more than just
the
surface-waters movement over the ground.

Peter A/Y Anicula


"Bart Senior" skrev i en meddelelse
et...
In most places where people are sailing, current would be
the greater effect.

Other factors, can all be lumped into something that for
lack of a better word is called current.

That is what I was taught.

DSK wrote

Yes it is, but a minute of longitude differs in length as you go
north
and/or south.