Navigation with a Compass

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In which is shown what the 32 points of the compass are, and to what uses they serve.

The first and principle thing for any seafarer or traveller to know is to which part of the earth they mean to go, and the direction of their course; for on the sea there is no path or mark to travel by, but only the use of the Needle and Compass.

The Compass

There are four cardinal winds or points, and they are the only points that have proper names, from which all others are derived. Of the capital points, South is directly from the Meridian, and North is directly against it, and East comes from the Equinoctial point towards parts where the Sun is rising, and West towards where the Sun is setting, and the four are equally spaced, with the Meridian being the determiner settling all argument. Between these lie the four secondary points, being the Northeast, Southeast, Southwest and Northwest, and each lies exactly halfway between their cardinal points. Altogether these eight points are known as the head winds, and sometimes also as the capital points. And then there are eight inferior points or winds, halfway between every one of these capital points, and they are the North Northeast, East Northeast, and so forth as shown below. And now between every one of these inferior points and every one of the head winds, there is a by point; but it having no true name of its own, it is known by the name of the closest head point, and to which side it lies, as in North and by East, Northeast and by North, Northeast and by East, East and by North, and so forth as shown below. There are then sixteen by points, so with the eight capital points and the eight inferior points, the points of the compass are thirty-two.

The Needle

The major use of these points is to set a course to sail to an assigned place, and to hold the ship to that course, to arrive safely and rapidly at your destination. And this is done by use of the Needle, which floats over the compass rose, and always stands due South and North, but in its own manner and timing, as will be spoken about further. And the Needle will always stand correct, except that it be jammed, or tilted, or filled with grit; or that cold iron disrupts its magick. For the Needle is tuned and stroked with lodestone by masters of this recondite art, to train it to stand true in all weathers and conditions and even near large quantities of iron, so long as this last is not moved; for the Needle, like the migrating birds above and the cold fish below, rely on the steady pull of that intangible wind that is distorted by iron, so the needle will stay bent and off true until the cold iron returns to its place, and the needle stops quivering, but calms down and sets once more to its task.

The Clock

The other use of the compass is to contain the twenty-four hours of the day in its circumference. For in the compass lie the contents of the Equinoctial, being 360 degrees, so that every point contains 11 ¼ degrees, and 4 points contain 45 degrees, 8 points contain a quarter of the compass being 90 degrees, with 16 points containing half the circumference, or 180 degrees. As these 32 points contain the 24 hours, each point contains ¾ of an hour or 45 minutes of time, and 2 points an hour and a half, 4 points 3 hours, 8 points 6 hours, 12 points 9 hours, 16 points 12 hours, and so on. And this is used as the measure to mark the times of the ship by the helm.


Boxing the Compass

# Compass point Abbr. Bearing Wind point
1 North N 0.00° Cardinal
2 North by east NbyE 11.25° Bypoint
3 North-northeast NNE 22.50° Inferior
4 Northeast by north NEbyN 33.75° Bypoint
5 Northeast NE 45.00° Capital
6 Northeast by east NEbyE 56.25° Bypoint
7 East-northeast ENE 67.50° Inferior
8 East by north EbyN 78.75° Bypoint
9 East E 90.00° Cardinal
10 East by south EbyS 101.25° Bypoint
11 East-southeast ESE 112.50° Inferior
12 Southeast by east SEbyE 123.75° Bypoint
13 Southeast SE 135.00° Capital
14 Southeast by south SEbyS 146.25° Bypoint
15 South-southeast SSE 157.50° Inferior
16 South by east SbyE 168.75° Bypoint
17 South S 180.00° Cardinal
18 South by west SbyW 191.25° Bypoint
19 South-southwest SSW 202.50° Inferior
20 Southwest by south SWbyS 213.75° Bypoint
21 Southwest SW 225.00° Capital
22 Southwest by west SWbyW 236.25° Bypoint
23 West-southwest WSW 247.50° Inferior
24 West by south WbyS 258.75° Bypoint
25 West W 270.00° Cardinal
26 West by north WbyN 281.25° Bypoint
27 West-northwest WNW 292.50° Inferior
28 Northwest by west NWbyW 303.75° Bypoint
29 Northwest NW 315.00° Capital
30 Northwest by north NWbyN 326.25° Bypoint
31 North-northwest NNW 337.50° Inferior
32 North by west NbyW 348.75° Bypoint