YOU SAID:
A ship is sailing east.
INTO JAPANESE
船が東に航行しています。
BACK INTO ENGLISH
The ship sails to the east.
INTO JAPANESE
船は東に向かって航行します。
BACK INTO ENGLISH
The ship sails towards the east.
INTO JAPANESE
船は東に向かって航行します。
BACK INTO ENGLISH
The ship sails towards the east.
That didn't even make that much sense in English.