Two compasses, why?

[capnsensible]

One at each helm.

 

[zoidberg]

wife bought a led camping lantern

I carried one of they and will again, for it was the last working white light I could display, tied on the backstay, when passing south of The Lizard W > E on a very dark drizzly night, with a couple of very big black shapes coming up behind me.

One of those nights when the soul wished earnestly it was instead safe and warm in the Chain Locker or even the Ship Inn.

 

[agurney]

This maybe a stupid question, but here it goes.I have noticed that some sailboats have two compasses, one on the port side and one on the starboard side.Why is this? ..

.. or simply symmetry, it looks neater.

 

[Deleted member 36384]

Obviously it's because we have two eyes.

 

[zoidberg]

One for each hull....

 

[Sans Bateau]

Confucius says, "man with watch very lucky man, man with two watches, never sure what the time is".

 

[Beelzebub]

Even my Fireball has two compasses.

 

[Graham_Wright]

But note that multiple compasses must be mounted far enough apart that their magnetic fields do not interfere.

There is a story about a skipper with novice crew who kept seeing random errors in his compass reading. He asked the crew if anyone had anything magnetic; no-one did. On effectively frisking them a pocket brass compass was discovered; "but it is brass, not magnetic!".

Mike.

Look at the two on HMS Warrior. So close together they almost touch. No explanation offered by the guides.

 

[fisherman]

I carried one of they and will again, for it was the last working white light I could display, tied on the backstay, when passing south of The Lizard W > E on a very dark drizzly night, with a couple of very big black shapes coming up behind me.

One of those nights when the soul wished earnestly it was instead safe and warm in the Chain Locker or even the Ship Inn.

And/or a red plastic plate and a torch........

 

[oldmanofthehills]

One on bulkhead, one in by steering position 1.5m further back and a handheld sighting compass in case the other two fail or fall off.

Second large compass bought after very wet night off Hartland when we could barely see bulkhead let alone its compass. Autohelm could not cope with those seas but fortunately its electronic compass was just behind helm position so I could see that by turning to look astern. However the autohelm electrocompass though it saved my day, is not reliable backup as I have experienced complete power-out on 2 boats of mine and heard of it on friends boats.

If the night is dark and rain and storm beset me, and electrics fail and I cant fix problem in the dark or dare not leave the helm then a simple compass can steer me home.

 

[PeterWright]

Usually because you sit to windward, and so you can get a straight view of the compass.

+1, except the other way around. I like to helm wedged in the aft leeward corner of the cockpit. I can see under the genoa foot and keep a good eye on the genoa and all its tell tales Of course, every few minutes stand up for a stretch and a look aft and to weather,

The first 2 compass boat I had was a Westerly Storm, designed before the days of GPS when Decca was or the rich. Compass and log were the tools of navigation. To this day I pick up wind shifts from the tell tales or the windex, not the compass. I find wind direction has little effect on the magnetic field.

Peter.

 

[Bobc]

A man with one watch, knows the time, a man with 2 watches doesnt

and then there's the man with a piece of paper with 8:30 written on it.

 

[Bobc]

I can't remember the last time I used my compasses. I don't even bother pulling the covers off them any more.

 

[capnsensible]

Interesting. Whatever boat Im on, I use the compass(es) constantly to make sure the boat is going in the right direction.

 

[Bobc]

I have an autohelm with fluxgate compass and chartplotter for that.

 

[capnsensible]

I have an autohelm with fluxgate compass and chartplotter for that.

Even if Im on a boat with autopilot and a chartplotter, my direction reference for the boat and all things around me is the steering compass.

Depends how you were trained, I suppose.

 

[mjcoon]

and then there's the man with a piece of paper with 8:30 written on it.

Half past? http://www.hexmaster.com/goonscripts/what_time_is_it.html

Mike.

 

[Bobc]

Half past? http://www.hexmaster.com/goonscripts/what_time_is_it.html

Mike.

I knew someone on here would get that. Milligan at his best.

 

[Bobc]

Even if Im on a boat with autopilot and a chartplotter, my direction reference for the boat and all things around me is the steering compass.

Depends how you were trained, I suppose.

Most of my time is spent doing sight-based nav or sailing to the telltales. If I'm passage-making, the boat tends to be on auto anyway.

 

[lw395]

+1, except the other way around. I like to helm wedged in the aft leeward corner of the cockpit. I can see under the genoa foot and keep a good eye on the genoa and all its tell tales Of course, every few minutes stand up for a stretch and a look aft and to weather,

The first 2 compass boat I had was a Westerly Storm, designed before the days of GPS when Decca was or the rich. Compass and log were the tools of navigation. To this day I pick up wind shifts from the tell tales or the windex, not the compass. I find wind direction has little effect on the magnetic field.

Peter.

Like most dinghy sailors, I steer to the tell-tales up wind, and the compass tells me how the wind is shifting.
The TackTick micro compass is a fine product.