How Does a Rowboat's Angle Affect Its Path Across a River with a Current?

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The discussion centers on the impact of a rowboat's angle and the river's current on its path across a river. The rowboat travels at 3.30 mi/h at an angle of 62.5 degrees north of west, while the river has an eastward current of 1.25 mi/h. Calculations indicate that the boat travels upstream approximately 560 feet when it reaches the opposite shore. Participants express confusion over the vector components, particularly regarding the interaction between the boat's velocity and the current. There is skepticism about the calculated speed exceeding the current's speed, highlighting the complexities of vector addition in this scenario.
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A rowboat crosses a river with a velocity of 3.30 mi/h at an angle of 62.5 degrees north of west relative to the water. The river is 0.505 mi wide and carries an eastward current of 1.25 mi/h. How far upstream is the boat when it reaches the opposite shore?

Drew a staight line down in quadrant two and made a right triangle. Then: tan(62.5°) multiplied by 1.25 mi/h = 2.40 mi/h.
Then figure the time out by distance of 0.505 mi divided by 2.40 mi/h = .210 h.
Then figure upstream at the opposite shore by: (0.505 mi) x (.210 h) = .106 mi = 560.0 feet.

I'm confused because I have a vector pointing east and one pointing north at 62.5° north of west and I feel like I'm ignoring the east pointing vector and that I need to do something else. I don't understand WHY though.
 
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Drew a staight line down in quadrant two and made a right triangle. Then: tan(62.5°) multiplied by 1.25 mi/h = 2.40 mi/h.

This is wrong. How can the current alone be causing you to travel faster than the speed of the current itself?
 

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