Boxing the compass is the action of naming all thirty-two principal points of the compass in clockwise order.
Navigational compass
mariner's compass
(Compass thumbnail.jpg) |
| # | Compass point | Abbreviation | Traditional Wind Point | True Heading |
| 1. | North | N | Tramontana | 0.00° |
| 2. | North by east | NbE | | 11.25° |
| 3. | North-northeast | NNE | | 22.50° |
| 4. | Northeast by north | NEbN | | 33.75° |
| 5. | Northeast | NE | Greco | 45.00° |
| 6. | Northeast by east | NEbE | | 56.25° |
| 7. | East-northeast | ENE | | 67.50° |
| 8. | East by north | EbN | | 78.75° |
| 9. | East | E | Levante | 90.00° |
| 10. | East by south | EbS | | 101.25° |
| 11. | East-southeast | ESE | | 112.50° |
| 12. | Southeast by east | SEbE | | 123.75° |
| 13. | Southeast | SE | Siroco | 135.00° |
| 14. | Southeast by south | SEbS | | 146.25° |
| 15. | South-southeast | SSE | | 157.50° |
| 16. | South by east | SbE | | 168.75° |
| 17. | South | S | Ostro | 180.00° |
| 18. | South by west | SbW | | 191.25° |
| 19. | South-southwest | SSW | | 202.50° |
| 20. | Southwest by south | SWbS | | 213.75° |
| 21. | Southwest | SW | Libeccio | 225.00° |
| 22. | Southwest by west | SWbW | | 236.25° |
| 23. | West-southwest | WSW | | 247.50° |
| 24. | West by south | WbS | | 258.75° |
| 25. | West | W | Ponente | 270.00° |
| 26. | West by north | WbN | | 281.25° |
| 27. | West-northwest | WNW | | 292.50° |
| 28. | Northwest by west | NWbW | | 303.75° |
| 29. | Northwest | NW | Maestro | 315.00° |
| 30. | Northwest by north | NWbN | | 326.25° |
| 31. | North-northwest | NNW | | 337.50° |
| 32. | North by west | NbW | | 348.75° |
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