can anyone suggest a site to help me set up my sestral moore compass. The instructions from sestral assume I'm a class1 master (which Im not!) I believe a compass adjuster can cost as much as a compass.
Amen to that David, there is a bit of free soft ware floating about that is supposed to help set up but I don't know the address. I had a Ferro hull which had a sestral - moore a bracket type that was mounted above the all steel crown wheel and pinion steel steering gear. it was corrected to within 3 degrees on all points by a compas adjuster with the magnets supplied by sestral.
adobe.
Compass adjusting site at http://www.yandina.com/compass.htm
may help, otherwise run a couple of corrected fluxgate compasses, a GPS and a radar, apply a bit of intuition and common sense, and you should be about right.
I'd check out your compass by sailing along known transits, 10 or so in all directions. Fiddle with the adjustment screws (if fitted), if it helps. If the worst deviation (don't forget to allow for variation) is no more than about 8 degrees, then its worth preparing your own deviation curve. If its more, then I would definitely get a proper adjuster on the job as probably magnets will need to be fitted. It cost us £80 last time.
With a steel hull, you also need to check that the deviation does not alter significantly when you are on a heel. Also, you need to recheck the deviation pretty regularly, evey 6 months say, or after pulling out, or after a major thunderstorm if there's been a nearby strike.
My used Sestral Moore compass didn't come with instructions. Does anyone know where I might get the instructions? Do they have an address or website.....