points on the compass

[woody]

In reading the Horatio Hornblower series, I have again come across a term that points to a gap in my nautical education; namely, the points on a compass. I read of references to bringing the ship around 8 points on the compass or the wind backing so many points on a compass. How many degrees of the compass does a point equate to?

Thanks in advance for your help.

Woody



woodchuck@erols.com

[Richard Hill]

In reading the Horatio Hornblower series, I have again come across a term that points to a gap in my nautical education; namely, the points on a compass. I read of references to bringing the ship around 8 points on the compass or the wind backing so many points on a compass. How many degrees of the compass does a point equate to?

Thanks in advance for your help.

Woody

32 points on the compass. 360 degrees/32 points = 11 1/4 degrees per point.



captrahill@comcast.net

[Dana]

there are 16 cardinal points to the 360 degree compass. See the link below. Besides N,E,W, and S, there are three other points between any two such as NNE, NE, ENE. Is a less accurate scale of direction compared to degrees.....

Dana
_______________________________

In reading the Horatio Hornblower series, I have again come across a term that points to a gap in my nautical education; namely, the points on a compass. I read of references to bringing the ship around 8 points on the compass or the wind backing so many points on a compass. How many degrees of the compass does a point equate to?

Thanks in advance for your help.

Woody

darenius@aol.com

[Catherine Monaghan]

A compass used during the error of Horatio Hornblower would have sported 32 points. So 8 points on the compass would be due east.

See the "<a href="http://www.gisnet.com/notebook/comprose.html">Origin of the Compass Rose</a>", the National Maritime Museum's "<a href="http://www.nmm.ac.uk/education/fact_fil ... .html">The Magnetic Compass</a>" and the Museum at UPENN's "<a href="http://www.museum.upenn.edu/Navigation/ ... .html">The Sidereal Compass</a>".

If you visit's UPENN's site, be sure to click on the "next" button to see how the compass was used in relation to the stars.

Cathy
CD32 Realization, #3
Rahway, NJ
Raritan Bay



catherine_monaghanNOSPAM@merck.com

[Neil Gordon]

>>Is a less accurate scale of direction compared to degrees.....<<

Not true. If you point a ship NNE, it will be pointing *exactly* NNE, adjusting for variation and the like. That sounds 100% accurate to me.

What's not accurate is anyone's ability to steer a compass course that's expressed in degrees, points or otherwise.


Regards, Neil
s/v LIQUIDITY
Cape Dory 28 #167



neil@nrgordon.com