Cetrek binnacle compass, loss of liquid

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tony_lavelle

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I rarely use the compass to steer but when I took off the cover off my elderly Cetrek binnacle compass the other day I was dismayed to see the floating compass card had dropped inside because the liquid had leaked or evaporated. I haven't investigated further but would like to know if anyone else has had this problem and whether there is a way to refill it.

I might add that there are large adjusters on either side of the compass. My boat is a steel motor cruiser and I'd like to avoid the expense of hiring a "swinging officer" after repair or replacement.
 
My sestrel one has a filling screw where it was written filled with oil...

(Do not ask how I missed this until I had removed the bottom section....)

I I filled mine with baby oil...I still have a small leak which I am narrowing down to possibly a split in the diaphragm which is going to be coated in Sikaflex ...
 
The compass is either repairable or it isn't My Suunto compass lost fluid a couple of years ago and I had no choice but to replace it. You will need to find out if the compass can be refilled, but this should be possible if it is good quality. I searched through my brand name.
 
If you can refill it, there will be some kind of screw. I understand that compasses tend to either be filled with alcohol or with a paraffin style solution. I bought some really expensive paraffin to top up my Suunto. But the root cause was still there and I kept getting air bubbles. In the end I replaced it with a Richie.

And if you have an alternative means of accurately getting a magnetic compass bearing, you should be able to swing the compass yourself. It should just involve adjusting a couple of screws. Clearly a professional is likely to get a better result, but if you use your compass rarely, perhaps you'd be happy to accept an adjustment that you did yourself.
 
pvb said:
It's a waste of effort refilling it unless you first find and fix the leak.
Click to expand...
Refilling it may allow you to locate the leak...

mine has leaked to approx the level that it leaked on the boat and despite shaking it I cannot get it to leak any more...

I suspect it is a pressure thing but my plan now is to coat the lower section with paint..in the hope it will either seal any minor hole or worse case will help to indicate the leak...
 
pandos said:
Refilling it may allow you to locate the leak...

mine has leaked to approx the level that it leaked on the boat and despite shaking it I cannot get it to leak any more...

I suspect it is a pressure thing but my plan now is to coat the lower section with paint..in the hope it will either seal any minor hole or worse case will help to indicate the leak...
Click to expand...
instead of paint, wouldn't a flexible sealant be better?
 
johnalison said:
The compass is either repairable or it isn't My Suunto compass lost fluid a couple of years ago and I had no choice but to replace it. You will need to find out if the compass can be refilled, but this should be possible if it is good quality. I searched through my brand name.
Click to expand...
I have fixed a Silva compass (not supposed to be possible and company said sealed for life), by using a 1mm drill bit to create a hole, using ice to contract things when I topped it up or vice versa (because of the flexible diaphragm that allows for expansion with climate) and the fiddly bit was sealing the hole. It did take over two days to fix. I try to fix things rather than chuck them and buy new but I am very old fashioned. Who rewinds the coils on motors or alternators anymore? Very few I would gess. Just bin it and but a new one sadly.
 
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