Modern navigators use the 360° angles to refer compass directions.
But
traditional mariners reckoned that by compass points.
I would say that Boxing the Compass is a necessary sea-going skill even for the
modern navigators. During my college days, it was pride among cadets to recite
all the 32 points in clockwise and then in anticlockwise direction without pausing.
Still, some of the Maritime Academies are training their cadets to do so.
The Math of Compass Points
Before dive in to know about Boxing the compass, I would like to explain the
math of compass points. There are 32 points in the Compass of 360°. So the
angular range of one Compass point is,
360°/32 = 11.25°
Therefore it is 11.25° between each point on the Marine Compass.
What is Boxing the Compass?
The action of naming all thirty-two points of Marine Compass from due
North in a clockwise direction is called Boxing the Compass.
Back in the old days Boxing the Compass required to name all the 128 points
including fractional points. That would be a torture for mariners if continued. If
you like to know more about fractional points, refer this Wiki-page.
How to Box the Compass?
A 32 point Marine Compass comprises of following divisions:
Cardinal points
Inter-cardinal points
Half points
Quarter(By) points
Cardinal Points
Let’s start with the big guys. The four cardinal points are the main directions of
the compass.
north (N)
east (E)
south (S)
west (W)
These Cardinal points are at right angles on the compass.
Intercardinal Points
The Intercardinal points are formed by bisecting the angle of the cardinal points.
northeast (NE)
southeast (SE)
southwest (SW)
northwest (NW)
The Cardinal and Intercardinal points together forms the eight principal
directions of the Compass.
Half Point
The Half-points obtained by bisecting the angles between the eight principal
points.
north-northeast (NNE)
east-northeast (ENE)
east-southeast (ESE)
south-southeast (SSE)
south-southwest (SSW)
west-southwest (WSW)
west-northwest (WNW)
north-northwest (NNW)
Quarter(By) Points
Further sixteen points are obtained by bisecting the angles between the above 16
points. These are called as Quarter points or By points.
In the first quadrant: north by east (NxE), northeast by north (NExN),
northeast by east (NExE), and east by north (ExN);
In the second quadrant: east by south (ExS), southeast by east (SExE),
southeast by south (SExS), and south by east (SxE);
In the third quadrant: south by west (SxW), southwest by south (SWxS),
southwest by west (SWxW), and west by south (WxS);
In the fourth quadrant: west by north (WxN), northwest by west (NWxW),
northwest by north (NWxN), and north by west (NxW).
Table of 32 Compass Points
Therefore the 32-point compass is yielded from the eight principal points,
eight half-points and sixteen quarter-points combined together, with each
point at an 11.25° angle from the next.
Direction Symbol Degrees
North N 0(360)
North by East N by E 11.25
North Northeast NNE 22.5
Northeast by North NE by N 33.75
Northeast NE 45
Northeast by East NE by E 56.25
East-Northeast ENE 67.5
East by North E by N 78.75
East E 90
East by South E by S 101.25
East-Southeast ESE 112.5
Southeast by East SE by E 123.75
Southeast SE 135
Southeast by South SE by S 146.25
South-Southeast SSE 157.5
South by East S by E 168.75
South S 180
South by west S by W 191.25
South-Southwest SSW 202.5
Southwest by South SW by S 213.75
Southwest SW 225
Southwest by West SW by W 236.25
West-Southwest WSW 247.5
West by South W by S 258.75
West W 270
West by North W by N 281.25
West-Northwest WNW 292.5
Northwest by West NW by W 303.75
Northwest NW 315
Northwest by North NW by N 326.25
North-Northwest NNW 337.5
North by West N by W 348.75
