"Gould 0738" wrote in message
...
(I think somebody is taking a beginning nav course. Will probably need it
if
stepping up from the cartop sail board)

Two references:

From the Dictionary of Nautical Literacy, published by International
Marine ( a
division of McGraw-Hill)

Dead reckoning: The process of determining the position of a vessel by
tracking
course and speed for a given time.
From the phrase, "deduced reckoning", the plot is called a "DR".

According to this source, Jax is half right. The process is called "dead
reckoning", but the hypothetical plot it produces can be called a "deduced
reckoning."

Then there's another source that indicates neither side of the argument
has an
absolute leg to stand on:

From "The Sailor's Illustrated Dictionary"

dead reckoning (DR): The determining of a position by course, speed, and
time
elapsed, but without a fix. A DR position is shownon the chart with a half
cirlce and a dot and the time the vessel was calculated to be in the
position.
With any other information included, such as wind and current, it is
called an
estimated position.
The term "dead reckoning" comes from "deduced reckoning" or "ded.
reckoning",
which later became "dead reckoning."

According to this source, the hypotheticaly correct term realy is ded.
reckoning, (short for deduced). Unlike an assertion that anybody who knew
squat
about navigation would never say "dead reckoning", those who are exposed
to the
practice on an actual basis, in the real world rather than by reading
about
boating, have probably never heard the technique called anything
except "dead reckoning."


Thanks for taking your time to share this information. Though I am not a
world sailor, this is quite interesting. I never knew there was a difference
in terminology regarding dead reckoning.

Best regards