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From: KevinR (no email)
Date: Sun Mar 23 2008 - 16:12:39 EDT
> -----Original Message-----
> .................
> third is the ability to follow a course, using the compass. The fact is
> that very few helmsmen can steer by the compass because they tend to
> use visual cues from watching stars, landmarks, clouds, etc. And,
> because most compass installations are so deficient as to be nearly
> useless, .......
Mike brings up a good point. So many owners today rely so much on the GPS
and autopilot, that indeed, few boats have good mag. compass installations,
let alone current correction cards.
I did a trip out to Bermuda a few years ago where the owner had a mag.
compass on the boat that was only good as an office ornament. Even when the
gimbal bearings didn't lock up, it was pretty useless for hand steering the
boat. His attitude was that with GPS on board, who needed a compass? He
actually thought the GPS gave him the direction the bow was pointed in, and
he had no clue that the GPS really only told you the course steered over the
previous few GPS "waypoints". And yes, we did get him to buy a new mag.
compass before we departed.
Now, to really throw in a curve ball with hand steering, take the average
trawler driver and have him hand steer with a compass that is reverse
reading, that is, you read the compass course from the part of the compass
card closest to you, instead of the normal compass where you read the
compass card from the section of the card closest to the bow. The results
will either be hilarious or terrifying, depending on what other objects are
close to you. Most boat drivers don't have a clue how to hand steer with a
compass card that swings the "wrong" way, and end up quickly turning in a
circle!
If you have one of these compasses on your boat, you should make sure you
get a lot of hand steering by compass practice time to get proficient at it.
Even better, replace the compass with a good conventional one.
Kevin
www.BoatMoves.com
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