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Sea Kayak Trips Bulletin Board
Re: Compass Question
Posted By: Jerry In Response To: Compass Question (mike allen)
Date: Wednesday, 23 June 1999, at 1:14 p.m.
Mike,
The only real differences are in the types of mounts. There are some other differences but those differences really depend on if you have a steel hulled boat or not. So unless your kayak is metal then there are no differences for the sake of this argument. They all really do the same thing, point to North.
Some compass manufactures make their compasses to be read from the rear, others from the front. Again they both do the same thing, my compass is designed to be read from the front. Personally I prefer it that way, too many years in the navy. But the my local paddle shop owner like his to be read from the rear.
Depending on the quality of the compass the bearing lines will be in any number of incriments. My compass is in 5 degree incriments, and I would not get anything bigger than that. The smaller the incriments the more accurate it's heading, but the larger it's size has to be to be readable.
Most every compass I've seen specificall designed for a Kayak has been flat type. This allows for easier installation. I have and Aquameter 2 compass (50 bucks) , it's a flat compassdesigned for sailboats but works easily on my shadow. Matter of fact it's the same thing Perception advertises in their catalog. To mount my compass I use a Perception quick release compass mount (15 bucks). The compass mount it just a piece of plastic, flat on top, and curved on the bottom. You can sculpt he mount to the curvature of the hull with a pocket knife, or in my case a dremel moto tool, and it attaches via a bungee cord and clips.
I would'nt worry too much about adjustable declination and the such. It's will probably cause more problems than it's worth as the lubber line of the compass needs to be aligned reasonable will to the kayaks centerline. If you need to figure declination, which you don't really need to do if you do everything in magnetic, then just write down the declination and add or subtract as necessary. Don't worry about a movable line to set your course just get the bearing under the lubber line and paddle.
Lastly don't be afraid to spend a few bucks on a compass either. When you're out in the middle of nowhere it can be one of the most important piece of equipment you have. Hope it helps
Jerry
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