When steering on a range, what should you focus on?

When steering on a range, the primary focus should be on the bottom board. This refers to the visual aids or markers aligned with your heading that help ensure you're maintaining your course accurately. Ranges are designed to provide a line of navigation that keeps a vessel aligned with a specific track, often leading to or from a port or through a narrow channel. By focusing on the bottom board, you ensure that your vessel remains securely within the desired path indicated by the range.

This method is essential because it directly correlates with your navigational safety and the effectiveness of your steering in relation to established points of reference. Maintaining focus on the bottom board allows for more precise corrections in course adjustments, as you are actively monitoring your position relative to set visual markers rather than other variables like speed or magnetic heading.

While other factors like speed over ground, current vector, and magnetic heading can influence navigation, they are secondary to the task of maintaining alignment on the range provided by the bottom board. Thus, concentrating on it is key to effective steering and safe maritime navigation.