Final answer:
The path actually followed by a vessel is known as the track. To reach a point directly across a moving river, the boat must steer with respect to the current to obtain the desired resultant velocity. A bearing defines direction relative to North, using angles measured clockwise.
Step-by-step explanation:
The direction in which a vessel is steered is the course, while the path actually followed is the track. When considering a boat crossing a river with currents, the captain must compensate for the river's flow to reach the desired point directly across from the starting position. If a river flows southwest to northeast at a velocity of 7.1 m/s, and the boat's speed is 13 m/s, the captain must steer in such a way that the resultant velocity, the combination of the river's current and the boat's speed, allows the boat to arrive at the point due east.
To find the right direction to head towards, we can use vector addition. The boat needs to counteract the southwest flow of the river to achieve a final path directly eastward. Unfortunately, the provided answer choices and resultant velocity of 19.74 m/s do not match the specified velocities of the river and the boat, hence they likely come from a different scenario or contain a typo. Therefore, based on the context of the question, the boat must steer into the current in a northeastern direction that is more northerly than eastward, but without accurate information, the specific angle cannot be provided.
A bearing is another method to indicate direction, defined as the angle, typically clockwise, with respect to North. Correct usage of bearings is essential in navigation and pinpointing specific directions in movement and travel.