MODULE 3

DETERMINE THE ERRORS OF

MAGNETIC AND GYRO COMPASSES
AND APPLY CORRECTIONS IN
OBTAINING TRUE COURSE AND
BEARING
TOPIC 1:
TAKING BEARING WITH THE USE OF MAGNETIC COMPASS
Bearing = is the direction of one terrestrial point from another, expressed as
angular distance from a reference direction, usually 000° at the reference
direction clockwise through 360° It is customary to express all bearings in three
digits.
Course = the direction in which the ship is heading.
True Course = is the horizontal angle between the direction of the true north
and the direction of the ship’s head measured clockwise from true north.
True Bearing = An angle between the direction of the true north and the
direction in which the object lies, measured clockwise from true north.
Relative Bearing = measured usually from 000° from the ship’s head or bow
clockwise through 360°
• HOW TO FIND THE TRUE BEARING:
How to find the TRUE BEARING of the object if the True Course and Relative
Bearing are Given:
True Bearing = True Course + Relative Bearing
Object A / True Bearing = True course + Relative Bearing
= 045° + 135°
True Bearing = 180°

Object B / True Bearing = True course + Relative Bearing

= 045° + 180°
True Bearing = 225°
Object C / True Bearing = True course + Relative Bearing
= 045° + 270°
True Bearing = 315°

Object D / True Bearing = True course + Relative Bearing

= 045° + 340°
= 385° - 360°
True Bearing = 025°

How to find Relative Bearing of the object if the True Bearing and True Course are
Given:

Relative Bearing = True Bearing – True Course

Object A / Relative Bearing = True Bearing – True Course
= 180° - 045°
Relative Bearing = 135°
 COMPASS POINTS
The circular card of the compass is divided on its periphery into 360°. For sailing it is
sometimes numbered from 0° at north and south, to 90°at East and West or into 32
divisions of 11.25° each called points, each points being further divided into half points
and quarter points.
The four principal points are called CARDINAL POINTS and are named North, South,
East, West each differs in direction from the adjacent one by 90° or 8 points. Midway
the cardinal points at an angular distance of 45° 0r 4 points are the INTERCARDINAL
POINTS, named according to their positions Northeast, Southeast, Southwest, and
Northwest. Midway between each cardinal and inter-cardinal point at an angular
distance of 22.50° or 2 points is a point whose name is made of combination of the
cardinal with that of the inter-cardinal point. North-north-east , East-North-east, etc.
An angular distance of 1 point or 11.25° from each cardinal and inter-cardinal point is a
point which bears the name of the cardinal or inter-cardinal point joined by the word
“by” to that of the cardinal point in the direction of which it lies North by east,
Northeast by North, ect. The process of naming the points in the compass card is called
BOXING THE COMPASS.
4 CARDINAL POINTS OF A COMPASS
1) North - 000°
2) East - 090°
3) South - 180°
4) West - 270°

4 INTER CARDINAL POINTS OF A COMPASS

1) North east - 045°
2) South east - 135°
3) South west - 225°
4) North west - 315°
There are 360° in the compass and total of 32 Points

1 Point is equivalent to 11.25° or 11° 15´ How to get 15´

.25° x 60 = 15´
NORTH South by West
North by East South South West
North North East South West by South
North East by North South West
North East South West by West
North East by East West South West
East North East West by South
East by North WEST
EAST West by North
East by South West North West
East South East North West by West
South East by East North West
South East North West by North
South East by South North North West
South South East North by West
South by East NORTH
SOUTH