Magnet catches, effects on my compass

[lonederanger]

I am in the slow process of refitting internally and externally my Steel Van De Stadt Zeehound, The heads door has always had a rather cheap rocker catch to keep it open. This area always gets a liberal dosing of salty water and every six months this little catch turns to dust. I have a strong magnet catch for replacement. the door is solid teak and the magnet catch is very powerful. If i ever get finished and head of into the sunset again, will i have to head off into the sunset as it will be my only means of knowing which way is east. Compass is a C Plath mounted on a stainless binnacle in the cockpit. I would appreciate your thoughts.

 

[duncan99210]

How far away is the compass from the heads door? Provided it’s more than a couple of metres, I’d have thought the effects on the compass will be l8mited, especially as the boat is steel. FWIW, we have a magnetic knife board in the galley with fairly strong magnets: it has no effect on the compass at all at a distance of about 4 metres on a grp boat.

 

[lonederanger]

Being a Centre cockpit the heads door is at the bottom of the companion steps. So probably 2 meters below the compass and 2 meters forward ,was wondering if it would magnetize the steel hull and effect the compass that way

 

[lw395]

For a heavy teak door, you with want a proper mechanical catch as soonas you start hitting waves.
available in brass or stainless.
The magnet won't affect the compass much beyond a metre or two.
But for a steel boat, an electronic compass with the sensor mounted a few metres up the mast is often a very good solution.

 

[Lon nan Gruagach]

All the stuff that the catch catches on and mounts on, the bits that dont rot...make a catch out of that.

 

[lonederanger]

For a heavy teak door, you with want a proper mechanical catch as soon as you start hitting waves.

The door has a proper brass handle and latch to keep it closed, but we often find we leave the door open as the wet`s go in there as well, our last trip was 15,000nm and we are well aware of what that door does when we bounce through an ocean storm. A hook would get in the way and you would catch yourself on it.