Using the 6-minute rule, how do you calculate the distance traveled in nautical miles?

To utilize the 6-minute rule for calculating the distance traveled in nautical miles, the correct calculation is derived from understanding that a vessel travels 1 nautical mile for every knot of speed over a period of one hour. Since there are 60 minutes in an hour, this means that for every minute, the vessel will cover a certain fractional distance depending on its speed.

When you speed in knots is divided by 10, you convert that speed into nautical miles traveled in a 6-minute timeframe. Specifically, at a speed of 10 knots, a vessel would cover 1 nautical mile in 6 minutes. Therefore, if you have a different speed, dividing the speed in knots by 10 gives you the number of nautical miles traveled in those 6 minutes.

For example, if a vessel is traveling at a speed of 30 knots, applying the 6-minute rule and using the correct calculation (30 knots / 10) results in 3 nautical miles traveled in 6 minutes. This calculation effectively simplifies the process of calculating distance from speed over a relatively short time interval, making it a practical rule for quick estimations at sea.