I have about 1/2" tall air bubble in the compass and even though i hardly use it, I was thinking of trying to fill it back up.
Anyone done this?
I heard of mineral oil but not sure.
I not sure if there is a threaded fitting to refill either.

Van, if it's a Ritchie Compass, you can bring it to their facility in Pembroke and they will service it for you. I did it once. They recalibrated it and refilled with new solution for fairly short $$. I honestly don't recall how much they charged now because I have trouble remembering yesterday lately. But you might want to give them a call.

I have about 1/2" tall air bubble in the compass and even though i hardly use it, I was thinking of trying to fill it back up.
Anyone done this?
I heard of mineral oil but not sure.
I not sure if there is a threaded fitting to refill either.

Its most likely the rubber membrane that keeps the oil in is now cracking/leaking.

Send it in for servicing. Its cheap money.

You need to fix the seal to stop it from leaking. Filling it back up won't stop the problem. The leask will continually get worse.

Its taken years for it to get this low, I think if its leaking is very veery slow. Good to know Richie is close by, but I have to see what brand it is. Thanks

Don't worry, if you do nothing about it it will speed up! :) It must be leaking, otherwise there is no place for the fluid to go!

Andrews Compass Service, 508-758-3001, Baptist ST. Mattapoisett, best in the business.

Depending on where you coming from there is a prestty good guy in exeter RI. Hempstead Navigation is the business name.

I was on the boat yesterday and totally forgot to check the brand. I guess i was too busy staring at my GPS in the fog.

Speaking of which.,., as I was moving to another spot (carefully watching GPS and depth finder) a guy was following me then came alongside. He said his buddy says there is bait at location X. So I said cool thats where Im going anyway. He said I will follow you. I asked.,... do you have a GPS? No just my compass.

I got him to the spot and I didn't see him again....

Wow,., while that is better than nothing, with the commuter boat traffic and all the submerged hazards, I would not have been out there without a plotter. I hope he gets one.

Anyway,
I will repost when I check the make of the compass.

Van, you have no business being out there in pea soup with just a plotter either. It's dangerous business these days of big boats with auto pilots, barges and other boaters that think they can steam along in the fog because they know where THEY are. Last year I was on Stellwagen when the fog rolled in and had a close encounter with a container ship that SILENTLY came across my bow and disappeared just as stealthily. It scared the %$%$%$%$e out of me, my wife and oldest daughter who were also onboard. I vowed that I would curtail my offshore trips and inshore foggy day trips until I put out for a radar. I had a top fabricated and put a Furuno 1623 on it this spring. It cost a bundle but I can safely fish many more days now. I had way too many close encounters in the fog.

Van, you have no business being out there in pea soup with just a plotter either. It's dangerous business these days of big boats with auto pilots, barges and other boaters that think they can steam along in the fog because they know where THEY are. Last year I was on Stellwagen when the fog rolled in and had a close encounter with a container ship that SILENTLY came across my bow and disappeared just as stealthily. It scared the %$%$%$%$e out of me, my wife and oldest daughter who were also onboard. I vowed that I would curtail my offshore trips and inshore foggy day trips until I put out for a radar. I had a top fabricated and put a Furuno 1623 on it this spring. It cost a bundle but I can safely fish many more days now. I had way too many close encounters in the fog.


Maybe so, but I know the commuter boat route and stay well off to the side of it. This area is inside so those are the only boats to really worry about. We did have about 100'-200' visibility, if it was zero things would have been different.

That said,,,do I take moderate risks?? HELL YES... I've even been know to run with scissors.....If I end up taking a dirt nap after saying that , feel free to have it chipped on my headstone....:angel:.:beat:

A couple of hundred feet makes all the difference...I thought you were in the pea soup we had down here. My point was that it has become a dangerous place out there in the fog especially so with guys who are steaming around on auto pilot or going too fast with just a plotter. Where you were is no big deal but if you were in Presidents Roads :gorez: you would be chum these days.:cheers:

OK got a look finally. Its an Aquameter, which I find is gone out of business and has been sold to Rule Industries.

It might be easier to just buy a new one.:huh::huh:

I found a link to Viking repair in Kingston MA. on the website.

Van,

Call Rule and see if they'll just give you a new one.

Well this issue is resolved because when I went to get it out. It was freakin cemented into place, and it basically exploded when I forced it out.
Oil everywhere !!!

I just threw it in the trash...
Found some nice Ritchies for ~80 bucks. But they are larger than the existing hole. So either I find a smaller one that will fit, or get the rotozip out again...

Thanks just the same.