Map of nearby buoys

Click on the marker for GPS coordinates

Notes on GPS coordinates

GPS coordinates come in two parts, latitude and longitude. Latitude is where you are north to south. Longitude is where you are east to west.

Unfortunately the numbers come in a couple of different flavors.

  1. Decimal degrees i.e.  36.96271, -122.00222
  2. Degrees minutes i.e. N36° 57.7626, W122° 0.1332
  3. Degrees minutes seconds i.e. N36° 57′ 45.756″, W122° 0′  7.992″

Decimal degrees are used by computers like Google maps. Degree minutes are used by most GPS devices. Degree minutes seconds are used by crusty old sailors with a sextant.

To convert decimal degrees to degree minutes, multiply the part to the right of the decimal point times 60 to get the minutes part. North is positive, West is negative.

For example, to convert 36.96271 to degree minutes, take the 36 as N36 degrees, and then .96271 x 60 = 57.7626 minutes.

To convert degree minutes to decimal degrees divide the minutes by 60 to get the part to the right of the decimal point in degrees.

For example, to convert W122° 0.1332 minutes to decimal degrees, take W122 as -122 and then 0.1332/60 = -122.00222.