Definition
The corridor either side of the planned track within which the vessel remains safe, set during planning from the distance to the nearest danger, the accuracy of the fixing method available and the vessel's manoeuvrability. It might be half a mile on an offshore leg but only 50 metres in a dredged channel. Plotters and ECDIS raise an alarm when cross-track error exceeds the figure entered, so it must reflect the chart rather than a default setting.
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