Is the magnetic compass becoming irrelevant?

[Ric]

The magnetic compass at the wheel of my boat needs replacing. The cost of a new one is not far short of a Raymarine A65 MFD repeater. One of the views available on the Raymarine A65 is an electronic compass rose linked to the ships flux gate compass and GPS, and with overlays showing wind, tide, and drift (a marine equivalent of what is called a horizontal situation indicator in aviation). Moreover, it can also display (in other views) radar, sounder, charts etc. Altogether far more useful at the helm than a wobbly magnetic compass.

I therefore thinking of abandoning a compass at the helm (I'll still have a handheld compass for the unlikely event of total emergency electrical failure).

Aviation has largely abandoned magnetic compasses and they are only retained for dire emergencies - in the business jet I fly for a living the magnetic compass is tiny, tucked away at the top of the instrument panel, and only works if there is total electrical failure because the electric windscreen heating and other electrical systems have to be off. So why do boats still have a huge compass dominating the helm?

Has anybody else simply abandoned a compass at the helm?

 

[nigelmercier]

I use the compass as a steering guide, it's a bit faster than my electronics.

 

[Storyline]

Although I hate getting older I consider myself very lucky (along with others of my generation) that we sailed at a time before the arrival of electronics. The first time we ever sailed our boat was a trip from Liverpool to the IoM and I remember distinctly telling each of our friends when they took their turn on the helm (no autopilot) the course they had to steer and how to aim the boat towards the compass needle to bring her onto the desired heading.

Nowadays we still find the large compass on the top of the binnacle useful for glancing at for various reasons such as wind direction/rough bearings of things. This is usually just sitting in the cockpit and not at the helm. For this reason I would not want to be without it.

Somehow it feels like the heart of the boat - sentimental claptrap I know but just a feeling.

 

[pvb]

Has anybody else simply abandoned a compass at the helm?

Yes, rarely use it. The plotter and instruments make it largely superfluous.

 

[Pladdatoo]

Actually just removed one this very morning. Ok not the one seen at the helm, but one at the chart table. With GPS, chart plotter and PC all available there and also wanting some space to fit a new power supply ( unsurprisingly), it's time had come.

 

[johnalison]

I need some kind of heading reference for those occasions when the wind or sea don't tell me enough. In theory, it shouldn't matter whether this is magnetic or electronic, and I don't doubt that a good electronic display can be easier to read than my little compass above the hatchway, but somehow I just don't have the confidence that nothing could ever go wrong with something electrical or electronic.

 

[richardm47]

Yes, I wouldn't replace mine if it broke. Instead I could have a handy central place in the cockpit to put binoculars so that everyone in the cockpit can reach them. Or a place for mugs and glasses that stops them spilling. But I agree that it reacts more quickly than the electronics. I think the reason it has survived on my boat is that the binnacle wouldn't look right without it - pure tradition and sentiment!

 

[Storyline]

They must be considered useful for teaching novice sailors because Storyline used to have three in the cockpit and she was once used by the Sea Scouts. There is the large central Sestrel on the binnacle and then two smaller ones on each side of the companionway, presumably to be used on different tacks. Just one of the bulkhead ones remain and I have always wondered what is c5" round and could be put in it's place .....

 

[lw395]

A fluxgate is a magnetic compass.
Just happens to be more complex than a pivoting magnet.

I would not be without a compass, I'm used to digital such as the TackTick on dinghies.
COG from a GPS is no substitute, as I'm sure many people have discovered the first time they stop in fog.

For sailing, a compass is the quickest way to see the wind heading or lifting.

I'd never want to be without a proper card compass, except perhaps on a steel boat where it less use as a sanity check.

Even on boats with well sorted B&G systems, it's usefull to chck the deviation has been applied when you swing the electronic compass.

 

[fergie_mac66]

compass is the only way my better half can steer by, other than a headland, light or physical object at distance . Put a gps in front of her and shes all over the place.

 

[Deleted member 36384]

I can see a time when it will be irrelevant and yachts will be sold without them, just electronic systems and paper charts will go the same way too.

 

[SpottyDog5]

When all our electronics failed, we were pleased we still had the compass.

 

[planteater]

To give another perspective - I like the minimal boat with just log, depth and compass in the cockpit. It looks hardcore and is less inviting to scrotes. Also, it's much easier to be minimal now that you can sneak a peak at navionics on your smartphone.....

A magnetic compass doesn't take up much space or power. Might as well have one, IMO.

 

[tonygibbs]

I'm more used to paper charts and magnetic compass, the boat has both electronic & magnetic compasses and I have VMH on the Nexus and smartphone

 

[jerrytug]

Compasses can never, ever, be replaced by electronics. (Except electronic compasses..)
Take a classic example, Solent to Cherbourg. The tides often roughly 'cancel out' for a medium cruising yacht.
To cross quickest, you need to steer by the compass. It's in Dayskipper theory I believe.
There are infinite other examples why magnetic compasses are not and never will be obsolete.(Crossing traffic lanes being another common one).

 

[wully1]

I wouldn't go out without a compass....I use the GPS a lot but always glance at the compass to check I'm heading where I think I'm heading.
One day when the power fails in t he mist or darkness I'll be very, very happy to have a compass, paper chart, dividers and half an idea how to use them.

 

[Blue Drifter]

Hardly ever use mag compass these days and if I was in a similar situation to OP then I would not replace as he suggests. Can't see that a lack of compass will cause any problems with crossing channel or TSS etc, if anything it is easier to work in true rather than mag.

 

[stav]

I must be old fashioned: still use a magnetic compass to cross the channel. Even move the chart plotter to under the spray hood so there is less deviation.

 

[Storyline]

During our last cruise a couple of weeks ago I noticed that our gyro compass which is connected to the plotter was reading 10° out. It may have been like that for ages such is the information overload with all the electronics. That is why I like a steering compass. It depends a large part on the type of sailing you do. The daily routine on Storyline is as follows: Decide where we are going for the night, set off, set a route on the plotter. If there is wind and we are sailing whoever is at the wheel asks for the course and this is referenced to the steering compass so off we go but usually sail to the wind in the general direction. If the donkey has to go on then we steer in approximately the right direction (using steering compass), press auto and then fine tune it on the autohelm "10° of positive, 5° of positive etc etc" gets called up from down below (all dictated by the course we are making on the plotter). Tides are more often than not ignored on passage. They do however profoundly rule nearly every single passage plan because of the numerous tidal gates.

Navigation in Scotland is mostly by eyeball but thinking about it we still use the compass a lot. Those of you down south who do more open water sailing may use it more maybe.

To sum up, I would hate to loose our main compass.

 

[trapezeartist]

Is the magnetic compass becoming irrelevant?

"Becoming", yes, but not yet "become".

I rarely look at the magnetic compass, and invariably use the digital display from the fluxgate to tell me my heading. Obviously you do need a totally non-electric compass on the boat somewhere in case of emergencies. My hand-bearing compass wouldn't do that job awfully well so in the absence of the huge steering compass at the helm I would need a different backup compass tucked away in a locker somewhere.

The times when I do use the compass are:
To get an approximate bearing on something. Look at the something, look at the compass and I have a bearing +/- 10 degrees.
When I am sitting side-on to the wheel and can't see the electronic display. I use the 45 degree or 90 degree lubber line on the compass instead.
Occasionally out of idle curiosity, to see if the fluxgate and steering compasses agree.