what is the correct way to communicate lat/long coordinates? realized recently when contacting the CG i never really had to before and wasn't sure.
example gps reading:
40* 40.474' N 74* 1.782' W
which i said "40 degrees 40 point 474 north, 74 degrees 1 point 782 west"
what would be the correct way to communicate this??
Obviously the other posters are correct in how to properly communicate lat/long information especially to the Coast Guard via VHF. For copying that kind of information I find my buffer gets full (which seemed to happen with age) :cussing: and it is hard to write the numbers down on paper via VHF transmission especially if not repeated and then either interpolate where they are on a paper chart or try and enter them in as a waypoint on the GPS. for telling someone where I am, I usually have either a recognized waypoint already in the GPS that I am navigating to or away from, or I move the cursor to a known object. In the example given above I might tell someone who wants to know where I am that I am 1.1 nautical miles, bearing 335 magnetic to the Statue of Liberty. That gives the same answer. I can also throw in that my course is XXX degrees magnetic at YY knots. Sorry the picture is fuzzy, but you get the idea.
I've only used this method to let fellow cruisers know where I am or locate them as it's fast and less to remember but wondered if the Coast Guard could find me with the information presented that way. This could especially be true in a tense situation.
BTW dlewis812, good thing you didn't give the coordinates in your example as your house location. You might have had people showing up unexpectedly.
