LOL
That's too complicated for me!
I just want a simple answer.
Average person on the beach watching average ship go over curve.
How far out?
Then why did you ask for details? There is no "average" scenario of which you speak. You have to have a point of reference to DO the math and physics involved, which is why I didn't want to get into this stuff.
Everything is relative to something else. An "average" beach in North America is different than an "average" beach in Australia. An "average" curve on a fastball is different than an "average" curve on a golf swing. When I take out my camera, an "average" picture with automatic exposure is different than one with manual exposure.
There really is no such thing as average for your scenario. You need to figure out solid and stable objects to work from and allow for different environmental situations that can alter your math. That is why I gave the height of the tree, the sea level and so on.