Boxing the compass is the action of naming all thirty-two principal points of the compass in clockwise order. Such names, formed by the initials of the cardinal directions and their intermediate ordinal directions, are accepted internationally, even though they have their origin in the English language, and are very handy to refer to a heading (or course or azimuth) in a general or colloquial fashion, without having to resort to computing or recalling degrees.
The set of 32 named points can be further divided into a set of 128 named directions using quarter-points,[1] although for communicating heading these fractional points have been superseded by degrees measured clockwise from North.
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A simple algorithm can be used to convert a heading to an approximate compass point:
For example:
A heading of 75°, divided by 11.25 gives 6.67, added to 1.5 gives 8.17, truncated to give 8. 8 in the table below corresponds to east by north.
| # | Compass point | Abbr. | Traditional wind point | Lowest | Middle | Highest |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North | N | Tramontana | 0.00° | 5.62° | |
| 2 | North by east | NbE | 5.63° | 11.25° | 16.87° | |
| 3 | North-northeast | NNE | 16.88° | 22.50° | 28.12° | |
| 4 | Northeast by north | NEbN | 28.13° | 33.75° | 39.37° | |
| 5 | Northeast | NE | Greco or Bora | 39.38° | 45.00° | 50.62° |
| 6 | Northeast by east | NEbE | 50.63° | 56.25° | 61.87° | |
| 7 | East-northeast | ENE | 61.88° | 67.50° | 73.12° | |
| 8 | East by north | EbN | 73.13° | 78.75° | 84.37° | |
| 9 | East | E | Levante | 84.38° | 90.00° | 95.62° |
| 10 | East by south | EbS | 95.63° | 101.25° | 106.87° | |
| 11 | East-southeast | ESE | 106.88° | 112.50° | 118.12° | |
| 12 | Southeast by east | SEbE | 118.13° | 123.75° | 129.37° | |
| 13 | Southeast | SE | Sirocco | 129.38° | 135.00° | 140.62° |
| 14 | Southeast by south | SEbS | 140.63° | 146.25° | 151.87° | |
| 15 | South-southeast | SSE | 151.88° | 157.50° | 163.12° | |
| 16 | South by east | SbE | 163.13° | 168.75° | 174.37° | |
| 17 | South | S | Ostro | 174.38° | 180.00° | 185.62° |
| 18 | South by west | SbW | 185.63° | 191.25° | 196.87° | |
| 19 | South-southwest | SSW | 196.88° | 202.50° | 208.12° | |
| 20 | Southwest by south | SWbS | 208.13° | 213.75° | 219.37° | |
| 21 | Southwest | SW | Libeccio | 219.38° | 225.00° | 230.62° |
| 22 | Southwest by west | SWbW | 230.63° | 236.25° | 241.87° | |
| 23 | West-southwest | WSW | 241.88° | 247.50° | 253.12° | |
| 24 | West by south | WbS | 253.13° | 258.75° | 264.37° | |
| 25 | West | W | Poniente or Zephyrus | 264.38° | 270.00° | 275.62° |
| 26 | West by north | WbN | 275.63° | 281.25° | 286.87° | |
| 27 | West-northwest | WNW | 286.88° | 292.50° | 298.12° | |
| 28 | Northwest by west | NWbW | 298.13° | 303.75° | 309.37° | |
| 29 | Northwest | NW | Mistral | 309.38° | 315.00° | 320.62° |
| 30 | Northwest by north | NWbN | 320.63° | 326.25° | 331.87° | |
| 31 | North-northwest | NNW | 331.88° | 337.50° | 343.12° | |
| 32 | North by west | NbW | 343.13° | 348.75° | 354.37° | |
| 1 | North | N | Tramontana | 354.38° | 360.00° |