Nautical Term: Abeam
Definition of Abeam
The bearing of an object that is perpendicular to the ship’s heading. In simpler terms, if you imagine a line extending from the middle of the ship, abeam refers to an object that lies in that imaginary line.
For example, if a sailor on a ship is trying to locate a lighthouse, and the sailor notices that the lighthouse appears directly to the right of the ship’s heading, the sailor can conclude that the lighthouse is abeam of the ship.
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