Compass, what stinking compass.

The friendliest place on the web for anyone who enjoys boating.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
See posts with no answers
Scary

Scary

Guru
Joined
Apr 1, 2012
Messages
887
Location
USA
Vessel Name
Cary'D Away
Vessel Make
Hatteras 48 LRC
How many of use a magnetic compass for navigation. Seems to me they can only tell you which way your bow is pointed.
 
I use COG.
 
We have a couple, one on both FB and PH just rarely use them, since we have a butt load of electronics that all need some use. :D
 
Greetings,
Mr. S. More to the point, how many have a magnetic compass that is accurate? When was the last time anyone had their compass adjusted or know how to correct a compass while underway? I use it for rough navigation. For highly accurate direction I defer to the Admiral.
 
My boat came equipped with one located in such a way as to be useless while operating. I scratched my head and considered an alternate location but that's as far as I've got. Find it pretty useless in the Delta.

I do however have a handy compass in my binoculars but admit to being clueless as to their accuracy.
 
Last edited:
Unless all your cruising is in a river or a smaller lake...I cannot believe anyone would be without one. When (not if) electronics go down, you can navigate with compass and depth sounder even in the dark
 
Till I put radar on the trawler...or still on my assistance towing vessel, I use a compass for turning at night or low vis. GPS often responds slowly enough in very tight quarters you can overshoot real easy in a sharp turn. A compass doesn't have to be accurate to use it in this mode...it's really just for turning the appropriate number of degrees to the new course.

I do adjust them with the GPS now...very easy...yes I've heard all the oldtimer arguments why it doesn't work...but I'm using "modern thinking" so it works just fine....:thumb:
 
I will sometimes use mine to track a straight course but otherwise it's the chart plotter that's used for navigation.

Most of my cruising is on "rivers and small lakes" (the AICW). ;)
 
psneeld said:
I use a compass for turning at night or low vis. GPS often responds slowly enough in very tight quarters you can overshoot real easy in a sharp turn. A compass doesn't have to be accurate to use it in this mode...it's really just for turning the appropriate number of degrees to the new course.
Click to expand...

+1 :thumb:

Couldn't imagine being out at night, in the fog, torrential down pour, or heavy snow fall (that will never happen again anyway :nonono:) were visibility might be only a few boat lengths without a GOOD non electronic compass.

Ted
 
hmmmmm...which one is more accurate for a straight line???:socool::D
 

Attachments

  • chart.jpg
    chart.jpg
    10.6 KB · Views: 463
  • compass.jpg
    compass.jpg
    7.2 KB · Views: 429
Last edited:
We have one at the lower helm, I admit I seldom even take a look at it except to dust it off. It is good to have in the unlikely event we lose electronics way, way, out in the Gulf I know we can point her North or East and run into land eventually. We do carry two handheld GPS which should take care of things barring a huge GPS blackout maybe more likely now the way foreign affairs are going.
 
Old habits die hard. I use mine all the time. I no longer plot manually with paper charts, rather I take the course from the GPS & steer entirely by compass. No particular reason other than it is more comfortable.

Your right about keeping correction charts & finding a pro for swinging them, it's a dying art. There used to be a fellow here that was exceptional and would do it for $50.00 but by the time you got back to the dock you had to restock your beer fridge. Quite a thirsty chap. Was a time when most surveyors offered this service.
 
Take a lightning strike and then the compass gets pretty useful!!
 
A compass can only bring you back on heading....unless you are actively plotting set/drift...a course deviation indicator can tell you how far you are drifing off and what to steer to get back on your trackline instantaneously. If you use both then I can relate...but my habits have evolved to chartplotter based though I can still do much of the other in case of emergency from years of practice.

If you don't care about the extra time and distance that's OK with me...I just go slow enough both are precious, plus it saves fuel.

That's usually why I let autopilot do it for me as he's WAY more attentive than me...:D
 
Last edited:
I find it much easier to steer by compass in thick fog. Crossed half of Dixon Entrance in the fog. Had the GPS on of course (and radar) but to steer a straight course the compass was a better tool. It's one of those things you've got to get the hang of too. I considered it a challenge and a good thing to know. Gotta watch it constantly though.

Whenever visibility disappears (or looks like it may) I use the compass as a reference point. If all else fails I have the ability to continue on the course that I was on. Sometimes I make a note on paper of the course so I can always return to it w the compass.

I'm fortunate enough to have a compass w just the right amount of stability. The compass I have is the only really useable compass I've used.
 
Last edited:
Sailing along the south coast of PR at night both GPS units lost their signal. Using the compass was the only way to continue until the signals returned. Would have been totally screwed without a compass.

Sailing in dense fog a week or so ago, a friend's chartplotter decided to do a reset. he didn't know about using the compass and ended up going in circles in some very marginal water until he got the plotter going again.

Wouldn't leave home without one,

Bob
 
in open water a compass is OK to follow a heading you have been using...but many times in confined waters a heading will take you aground as fast as being lost unless you have accurate set and drift or are navigating by RADAR.

Radar in my operations is the next best tool after a compass for making turns in confined areas and low vis.
 
I navigate with the GPS but steer by the compass, if that makes any sense as stated. I use both.
So basically, I always use my compass. Adjusting you heading with a crab angle is no different with a compass than a GPS. I do it because I am comfortable with it. I'm sure I could come up with lots of reasons to use it as not - maybe.
 
Tony B said:
I navigate with the GPS but steer by the compass, if that makes any sense as stated. I use both.
So basically, I always use my compass. Adjusting you heading with a crab angle is no different with a compass than a GPS. I do it because I am comfortable with it. I'm sure I could come up with lots of reasons to use it as not - maybe.
Click to expand...

Probably the most important issue at hand...:thumb:...especially those with plenty of experience to know it works over a variety of situations.
 
This one is from a chart of my boating backyard, one of many in the area ...

magneticdisturbance.png


Everyday I use GPS/chartplotter/iPad ... still, I would not go out without a magnetic compass and paper charts of the area.
 
manyboats said:
I find it much easier to steer by compass in thick fog. Crossed half of Dixon Entrance in the fog. Had the GPS on of course (and radar) but to steer a straight course the compass was a better tool. It's one of those things you've got to get the hang of too. I considered it a challenge and a good thing to know. Gotta watch it constantly though.

Whenever visibility disappears (or looks like it may) I use the compass as a reference point. If all else fails I have the ability to continue on the course that I was on. Sometimes I make a note on paper of the course so I can always return to it w the compass.

I'm fortunate enough to have a compass w just the right amount of stability. The compass I have is the only really useable compass I've used.
Click to expand...

Likewise. In addition, the compass shows directions even if the boat is not in motion, unlike COG provided by the chartplotter.
 
For running a Predicted Log race according to the rules, we must use our compass. At all other times, we use GPS. As an aside, it now costs the price of a new compass to get it professionally boxed. My bridge compass is starting to stick and the company Aquameter is no longer in business so no parts are available. I'm goin' to take the compass from the lower helm and install it on the fly-bridge where we do all our pilotin'.
 
Greetings,
Mr. RW. couldn't help but notice "AREA OF MAGNETIC DISTURBANCE". Is the cause for this known and does it affect the compass much?
 
I use a hand-held compass and compass binoculars for bearings. I do scan the helm compass as I do other instruments, and I do report the course reading when I turn over the helm to someone. But do I actually use it for navigation? Honestly, not really, as most of the time the auto pilot is steering. Would never get rid of it as it is a fundamental of navigation, has few moving parts, and doesn't require electricity.

It is a legal requirement in Canada to have on boats over 8m. If under 8m it is not required if you are using navaids, i.e lake, river or canal boating.
 
RT Firefly said:
Greetings,
Mr. RW. couldn't help but notice "AREA OF MAGNETIC DISTURBANCE". Is the cause for this known and does it affect the compass much?
Click to expand...

I can only guess based on the geology of this area ... iron rich granite at the bottom of the river canyons.

It does affect the compass and the deviations are random and significant ... luckily, there is plenty of nav aids and topo points to stay on track.
 
RT Firefly said:
Greetings,
Mr. RW. couldn't help but notice "AREA OF MAGNETIC DISTURBANCE". Is the cause for this known and does it affect the compass much?
Click to expand...

Don't have charts for that area loaded...unless there's something else in the chart notes...the underwater cables nearby can also set up a disturbance.
 
Coincidental ... there is plenty of cables between various islands there and no marked disturbance, and other marked disturbance areas and no cables in sight.
 
Richard W said:
Coincidental ... there is plenty of cables between various islands there and no marked disturbance, and other marked disturbance areas and no cables in sight.
Click to expand...

Depends what they are as I have seen anomalies from cables...but here's an interesting bit of info (probably not cables for sure)

Magnetic Anomalies - Kingston , Ontario waterfront

28) Local magnetic disturbances.-- Differences from normal variation of from about 006 W to 007 E have been observed at numerous locations throughout Lake Ontario. Differences of up to 37 have been observed in the approach to Kingston, Ont., on the N side of the head of the St. Lawrence River. The locations of these anomalies are shown on NOS chart 14500.

Another reason to either really use your compass...or NOT!!! You definitely have to plan for all these little issues...or be way off...





 
Last edited:
Like most of us, I use my GPS, but I look at my compass as well. I always think about if GPS is taken down or significantly degraded for security purposes, or due to a failure or a hack--? I like to think my compass is pretty necessry.
 
Greetings,
Messrs. RW and psneeld. So what you're both saying is that there is SOMETHING down there and we shouldn't necessarily take it for granite. Bwahahahaha.....Sometimes I just knock myself out.....
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

RT Firefly
Magnetic compass
2
Replies
47
Views
3K
Hippocampus
H
PennBruce
Portland Pudgy Compass Question
Replies
4
Views
354
tiltrider1
tiltrider1
mvweebles
Simrad MFD - course and heading do not align.
2 3
Replies
71
Views
6K
LarryM
LarryM
neworleansrich
Raymarine Autopilot Loss of Compass
Replies
2
Views
360
neworleansrich
neworleansrich
HeadedToTexas
Simrad rate compass going bad?
Replies
5
Views
364
C lectric
C lectric

Latest posts

Back
Top Bottom