Question 202 Deck General

The correct answer is A) Yaw. When a vessel is on autopilot steering, the "weather" control is adjusted to compensate for the effects of yaw on the vessel. Yaw is the side-to-side motion of the vessel caused by wind and waves, which can push the vessel off course. The weather control on the autopilot adjusts the rudder to counteract this yaw and keep the vessel on the desired heading. The other answer choices are incorrect because they do not directly relate to the purpose of the weather control on an autopilot system. Pitch is the up-and-down motion of the vessel, leeway is the sideways drift of the vessel, and roll is the side-to-side tilting of the vessel. While these factors may also affect a vessel's course, the weather control is specifically designed to compensate for the effects of yaw.