- The direction from which the wind is blowing
See the topic Wind for more information about transcribing the wind direction. - The ship's course (the direction in which the ship is going).
- The ship's heading (the direction in which the ship is pointed).
Navigation: Course, Bearings and Headings explains the difference between course and heading.
Point can mean:
- Any named direction (e.g., East, SWbyW)
- 11 degrees 15 minutes (which is equal to 11.25 decimal degrees)
However, a 128-point (def 1) compass rose also has 32 points (def 2) because it also covers 360 degrees.
Most of us are familiar with the directions shown in this 16-point compass rose.
The 16 points are:
north, north-northeast, northeast, east-northeast, east, east-southeast, southeast, south-southeast,
south, south-southwest, southwest, west-southwest, west, west-northwest, northwest, and north-northwest
The 32-point compass rose adds the by-points.
(Click on image to open zoomable pdf in a new tab)
The eight additional points in the northeast quadrant are:
north by east, northeast by north, northeast by east, and east by north.
The other three quadrants follow the same pattern.
North by east is generally abbreviated as NbyE, NxE, or NbE.
North by east is 11.25 degrees (one point) clockwise from due North.
Northeast is 45 degrees (four points) clockwise from due North.
Therefor it is important to distinguish one from the other.
The 128-point compass rose adds half and quarter points.
(from http://www.naval-history.net/Oxon01-ShipList.htm)
and
(Click on image to open zoomable pdf in a new tab)
The half and quarter points have two equivalent names.
N1/4E is the same as NxE3/4N and NxW3/4N is the same as N1/4W.
The official US Navy nomenclature for all 128 points is given in Bowditch's American practical navigator.
Some of our older logs even use eighth points!
See the Courses Steered column on the weather page and the notes about courses on the events page of USS Thetis 1889
When transcribing half, quarter, and eighth points keep the number as a fraction rather than converting it to a decimal number.
Use of degrees (0-359)
Using degrees for the course became standard in the early to mid 1900's.
For example, see USS Charleston 1937
Wind direction generally didn't change to degrees till the mid 1900's.
For example, see USS Burton Island 1947
When transcribing degrees, the degree symbol should be omitted.
Other formats
You will occasionally see an entry in the bearing angle format.
For example, see USS Thetis 1889 where the 1pm course steered is N35oE.
This is simple 035o or roughly NExN.
Again, when transcribing degrees, the degree symbol should be omitted.
For some very helpful explanations and examples, and an interesting historical note on the minute and second symbols, see Traditional mariners' compass points (thanks to Matteo)
You may also like the Wikipedia articles Points of the compass and Compass rose
Last but not least: American practical navigator: an epitome of navigation and nautical astronomy, originally by Nathaniel Bowditch, LL. D., 1916