# Cecil Couldn't Answer: Physics of Sailing

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cecil-couldnt-answer-physics-of-sailing/256082>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [July 20, 2004, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cecil-couldnt-answer-physics-of-sailing/256082 "2004-07-20T23:22:33Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![rjk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ed655f/32.png) [@rjk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjk)\
**Post date:** [July 22, 2004, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cecil-couldnt-answer-physics-of-sailing/256082/21 "2004-07-22T02:20:50Z")

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I realized today that I was unclear when I talked about resolving the vector into southward and eastward components, although that’s correct when the vessel is headed east. What I should have said is to resolve the vector into one component parallel to the heading of your hull and another at right angles to that.

(And I see that in my ‘knots vs mph’ post above, I scuttled a letter from the word ‘stated’. Scurvy lubber!)

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