When engineers clash

Down at Gary's dock as Gary and SH are trying to figure out how to remove the ladder from the dock so another boat will fit or something like that.

Gary: The wind is coming from the north.

SH: No, it's from the northwest.

Gary: North.

SH: Northwest.

Gary: Maybe north-northwest.

SH: Maybe.

Gary: Wait. Let me check [as he consults the compass on his watch oh how engineers love their gadgets].

Alas, six hours later, SH cannot remember who won. But somebody did. And it was important. This would be where I would usually tell my "let's just get out the ruler" joke, but 1. this is a family blog more or less and 2. with engineers, is that really the motivation or is more of the nitpicker's desire to be precisely, accurately correct with the added benefit of proving someone else wrong?