When at the RISSA show I had a chance to listen in on a good GPS/Chartplotters semiar hosted by Capt Rick Kilborn. One of the important things he highly emphazised on was to make sure that your compass's are properely adjusted.
In the case that you travel 5 miles and your compass is off only 10 degree's you will be 1 mile off course, scarey I thought. Not to mention current, tide and weather conditions. Check and adjust your compass if nessary. Theres are many boaters that rely on their electronics and don't know the basic's on how to read a compass. Expect the unexpected!

Good info Goose. I have to set mine. I was never to sure on how to get it exact though.:smash:

It can be a bog problem on small boats, in that local stuff can really screw up a compass. You may not notice that pair of fishing pliers sitting a foot way from the compass, but you can bet the compass will know its there.

I hear ya Mike, he also mentioned magnet's from speakers installed to close will throw it off.
I know this is short notice but West Marine on Popes Island is having a GPS/Navigation semiar at 5:30 TODAY! I plan on being there so I'll ask and get more details on that question F-18,, althought I think you should be able to get a accurate reading from your GPS.

Thanx Goose. I have set it up by my GPS, but it always seems to be off just a hair. I'm prob. being to over concerned.

I always worried about this and talk about over concerned I put the Ritchie HD-75 on the boat and checked it to the GPS readings from the furuno and then went and put an electronic Richie flux gate compass (they dont make it anymore )on this boat and the magnetic says its only off by 1 degree.And wow will anything metal that can be magnitized on or near the dash throw the compass way off.Even screws used to hold something on.Always use stainless , brass or aluminum and watch the stainless as some will magnitize below 8-18 grade

I was in this camp for years but I am now starting to disagree with this compass thing for esp. smaller boats. It is impossible on many smaller boats...."locate your GPS at least 30" from your compass"...yeah right...not in a 17-26' CC boat.

With all the electronic crap in my console so close to my compass it is way off and I know it. (15 deg+ off) I can improve it a little but it is a pain to do it. I spent two afternoons and gave up. If I pull out all the crap the compass is pretty close. To be honest, I rarely look at the compass anymore anyway. It looks cool at night with the red light but I am addicted to my electronics. , I do keep an accurate hand-held compass in the dash as a backup. But again, I never look at that either and I can't imagine navigating with it in the fog at night...but I have it.

I am half joking here but I was thinking last summer of taking the compass out throwing it away and using the hole as a cup holder...It would be better use out of that space!

I hate to say it but (FOR SMALL BOATS) I think a compass has seen its day and is now obsolete.... sort of like the sextant and the abacus. It works but what is the point? It is FAR easier and more accurate to follow the GPS. If it craps out...take out a spare battery hand held GPS slap it on the dash and go...frankly they are so cheap that you could have 2 spares. Some watches even have gps now! They are as cheap as a good compass and 1000X+ times more accurate.

While I do feel it is important to know how to navigate with a compass and a paper chart (for history's sake as well as the principals of navigation), in today’s world they are obsolete.

IMO a lot of "old salts" and prof. captains preach this is because this is what they were taught and it has worked for 100's of years...and they were also taught don't trust the new-fangled electronics...And to some degree they are right, boaters should know how to navigate. But having grown up learning to nav via a compass and charts, then using Radio Direction Finders, then LORAN and now WASS enabled GPS...(I even took a short course once on Celestial navigation (how to use a sextant)...talk about crude!) ...but the compass has seen its day and it is time to start changing the tune. A LOT more GPS courses are needed for boaters...don't waste too much time on the compass, dividers and parallel rules with paper charts...on a CC? You have got to be kidding. Sure it is important, teach the basics but IMO they should spend A LOT more time how to get the most out of your electronics.

IMO my gps's are the most important thing on my boat. If they don't work, and it is at night, I don't leave the dock. I would not THINK of getting as close to the shore as I do at night without GPS, it would be a death wish. I also think a gps/chartplotter AND BACKUP handheld gps unit is more important then even a life vest...really! As you are FAR more likely to get lost in a fog/night or run aground or even be outside a channel, then sink and have a need for a pfd. (but I have quality pfd's (and wear them) too!).

A compass does not tell you where you are, only about what direction you are heading. Moreover it is fairly crude device on a small boat subject to all kinds of interference. If fact in poor visibility (dense fog) navigating via compass is a good way to run your boat aground. Close is NOT good enough for inshore navigations and a compass is only good enough for close esp. around these waters. For large boats and ships way out at sea compass has more use but still...they rely mostly on electronics.

I know this will rub guys the wrong way but times are a changing and we have to change too. The hard facts are that the cheapest battery gps is better then any compass. I think they should be mandatory for all boats...you can afford a boat you can afford a gps, that simple.

Again, I AM being a little sarcastic here, I practice safe boating and believe and follow the rules and use as much common sense as god gave me. I do have a compass and it is off by about 15 deg..So I deem it near worthless, I also have a backup handheld compass which is very good with a paper chart or two on board...but I don't see I time when I need them anymore...(My dad is rolling over in his grave right now...he loved drawing lines on charts) IMO the cheap GPS have made the compass a museum piece... Most of my charts hang on my wall at home as conversation pieces.

GO DIGITAL

Sandman...you say it like it is, I'll give you that. I agree with most every thing you said. Come on now, not everyone has back up hand held gps's or digital compass's. The chances of a eletrical fire on board is slim but it still happens and combined with fog and elements ....IMO why not rely on the earth's magnetic force vs. a man made object....why take the chance? If I where asked who on this site is the least likely to ancounter boating accident I'ld put you right up there SM, just based on your knowledge and understanding but accidents happen to the best of them. I always say expect the unexpected, sometimes good sometimes bad.

Back to adjusting a compass to magnetic north. :) I just got back from another GPS semiar for rookie boaters like myself, anyway, the two of the most common ways is ...1 pick a calm day in a harbor with no current or wind, (one of the two will turn your boat away from your boat facing north as your trying to adjust it.) Point your gps's compass to north, while maintaining North adjust your boat compass.(done better with two)....2 If you don't have a GPS (Sandman;):D)...get a second compass and place it on the deck in line away from your boat compass, some where away from metal's.... now see if the readings line up.

I hear you loud and clear Sandman....technology is fasinating and always changing for the better. The"classified" WASS system that our goverment uses is accurate to the inch and that makes us only 5'11" away. Thats freakin amazing! IMO...its just a matter of time that we'll have the same technology in our boats.

Mr. S:

I partly agree and partly disagree with you. As a pilot who has lost all electrical power twice over the last 25 years, I swear by a mag compass in an airplane because when all else sh**s-the-bed, that little mag compass defines your entire world and will save your bacon!!!

In a boat, in the soup, at SW Ledge, with an electrical failure (a far more likely event in a boat than in an airplae, BTW), how are you going to know where to point the bow, other than by knowing your wave/swell angle of attack, to get back to Pt. Judith or wherever?

Where I partly agree with you is that the mag compass is a pain to keep dialed-in, especially in a small boat, and especially when we don't use it often what with GPS and all our other neat toys. I check mine virtually every trip and tweak it relative to the GPS whenever it's over a couple of degrees off (there's as much variation in GPS headings as in the mag compass headings, BTW). I have one of those little plastic retractable hobby knife things with the break-off blades in which I replaced the break-off blade with a copper compass screwdriver that came with my compass. I keep it on a 1/8" bungee cord attached to the compass so it's readily at hand when I have to tweak the compass.

Now, is my compass in the boat dialed-in exactly? Never happen! But it's within a few degrees of mag headings and thus it will get me home, or at least to shore close to home--not an altogether comforting thing given that "home" is sorrounded by the rock wall at the Harbor of Refuge!! But that's why throttles on outboards can actually go to "slow."

I think the big advantage of a mag compass is in its use a relative bearing indicator, much more than in pointing out a course to follow. But right up till the moment your electrical system craps out (an event that in itself will throw off the compass a great deal in many boats), boat drivers ought to be well aware of which mag heading, or at least range of headings, will get them to a safe spot.

Just my 2 cents worth.

In your post you fail to mention the backup handhelp Sandman has mentioned no electrical failure will take this out!! I too use the GPS primary and secondary over the compass, just what I have learned and been comfortable with, I have to use the compass where it counts underwater and I wish they'd make a gps for that too!!

090 out 270 back - I love the magnetic compass.

Goose,

I know that post was sarcastic and sort of a bait ..but I honestly think that the compass will go the way of the sextant. These low end units are truely amazing when you really get into to what they can do....for the money it is mind boggling. If you look around handheld units go for as low as 120 bucks. Quaility marine handhelds with all the goodies go for 300 or so . A quality marine compass sets you back about the same.120-250. (yes you can get a $20 compass but you know what that is good for) But my point its we have reached the break even price point now between GPS (state of the are digial tech) vs analog technology with lesser capablities.


I was talking to a banker/boater about them and he said they were getting so cheap the bank was thinking about giving them away if you open an account!...My respose was..."How much do I have to deposit to get a free EPRIB?"

Last June I took a 2 day mini advanced GPS course for boaters over at WHOI campus and it was really great! That fellow who gave it wrote a book on gps for boaters and was a principal in the development of the entire initial program for the gov't. After that I really got into what these can do beyond the basic routes and waypoint stuff...and some of the other software and they are the best safety device to come along ever for boaters since the pfd.

BUT there is NOTHING wrong with owning a compass!...I just could use another cupholder :laughs:

Really, it is a saftey net for navigation when it all hits the fan and your looking for North...QUICKLY without having to turn anything on.

fair winds!

Sandman, I glad you made that point about having the back up handheld. I see a hand held in the future. :btu:

Same for me - Along with a hand held compass - just in case :D

Sandy,
And what's your back up when you're out at SW ledge in the fog and the GPS system goes down, due to solar flares or whatever?

Turn on the hand held GPS which has a built in chartplotter feature and procede in confidence..


OH solar flares knocking out the sat signals......generally this is a short lived event but I have to say the odds of that happening while I was on SW ledge would be pretty slim and I would generally know about it prior to heading to a place like that.
(Like last year in the fall the signal did go down but not altogeter)

I would probably look at my compass though IF all this happend.:rolleyes:

You know the compass is not ammune to atmospheric/geo events either. Years back I recall once watchin the compass go nuts off Montauk, asked my dad...can a compass break? It cleared up after a few revs...But to this day I have no idea what caused it.
Have you ever seen the compass do odd things?

Remember, all those ships that ran aground/collided in the NE graveyard all had a compass...Some crashed directly into islands head on....while looking at thier compass.

Mostly I agree with SM, I use the mounted GPS for everything, and have a spare handheld for emergencies.

IMO, the only thing a compass is good for would be to point me in the general direction of land (wherever it may be). Rather than drift or try to navigate aimlessly in the ocean.

At least if I could get close enough to a shoreline, I could follow it until I see a landmark. Using the depth finder to try to stay safe.
(Good reason to have separate GPS and fishfinders)

As for loss of electrical power in the boat, with these new computerized engines, you probably ain't going anywhere anyway. Call for help. (Always have a cell phone) !!!

I got a situation for you boaters. Your steaming across buzzards bay, choppy waters little swelly visiabity to say 1/4 or less, conditions aren't terriable but often delt with on a chity afternoon. Your GPS is workin fine. You have the 2060 Garmin a $2500.00 unit.:) Out of the corner of your eye you see what you think is someone go over board. What do you do. Press man over board button?? Alot people would panic and press the MOB. Once you do it asks you "are you sure you wanna save this postion" or something like that. You press yes. By that time depending on your speed you could be far enough away from that person and the situation can go horriably wrong, the spot you marked is way off. What is the correct thing to do? I was instucted to throw a near by item overboard such as a cooler, vest or anything that floats to mark the spot.

Even the best GPS and backs ups for back ups isn't going to replace our actions. So you didn't use your compass or gps and you still saved a life.

fishsmith gets an A++++++++++ that was one of the first things and most important things I was taught --even if the compass is off if you know what your heading was to get there the recipocal will get you back

The GPS system is mand made and like anything else can fail, due to either atmospheric causes or simple failure. I certainlt wouldn't feel comfortable without a compass out there. I've been out there too many times when the loan chains went down.

sweet an A+++, it took 34yrs, but I knew if I kept trying....