Wave Heading |
 
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Wave Heading |
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Wave heading is defined as the angle between the direction of approach of a wave harmonic incident on the vessel and the local surge () axis. The calculation of wave heading is illustrated schematically in the first figure below. This definition is one used principally by naval architects, but will be intuitively reasonable to most users. However, please note that in strict mathematical terms the incident wave heading is the angle, measured positive anticlockwise, from the negative direction of the local surge axis to the wave direction drawn at the vessel reference point. This is shown in the second figure below. This definition is slightly at odds with the scheme used elsewhere in Flexcom, where angles are defined in terms of wave and current directions relative to positive global Y-direction. This slight inconsistency results from the definition of wave heading in most common use and best understood by offshore engineers.
Definition of Wave Heading
