Getting our Compass Swung

[Bill 310]

I knew that our Compass was in need of being swung and with our planned trip to Desolation Sound this summer I decided that it was time to get the Compass swung.

I called Michael Palacz - Certified Compass Adjuster and we set a date for last Friday.

Mike calls me Thursday to tell me a Bulk Carrier needs to have its' compass adjusted befroe it can leave the Port , and he may have to postpone our appointment

Friday morning I get the call and we are on at 10:30.

The swinging of the compass took about 2 1/2 hours. Mike used his Pelorus (link Below) as I ran bearings to and from a known object.

Depending on the heading my compass I was off between 3 and 9 degrees.

The result of this is a compass that is compensated to the level of accuracy for a small vessle (or something)

I now have a compass card to put on the cabin wall and my deviations are visible to all,

This process should be repeated every three years, becasue like in life things change .

Money well spent whether of not all my electonics crap out, and money well spent to stop knowing my compass was missdirected

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pelorus_(instrument)

 

[RiverBoy]

is this guy an old timer based on the island?

 

[ryanb]

Can't remember the last time I used the compass on the boat, if ever, lol.

 

[Coyote Spooner]

I use Navionics and my Raymarine, to get my course set up, and determine my heading. Then I use my compass, in conjunction, with the electronics. It helps stay on course, and I’m not always distracted by the screens. Having said that, I don’t see the need to have my compass 100% accurate. I have Navionics on my iPad and iPhone, plus my Raymarine. So with triple redundantcy, an accurate compass isn’t critical IMO.

 

[Bill 310]

is this guy an old timer based on the island?

Sorry not an old timer living in Vancovuer

 

[Gong Show]

I use a compass and radar when in fog or night traveling.
They don't get used much otherwise.

 

[zurk]

lol. seriously ? just get a DGPS and you dont need to swing anything.
or maybe just swing your compass overboard and shed a few lbs for improved fuel economy.
i have a compass card too but i pull it out only for translink.

 

[scott craven]

Hate to state the obvious, what happens when electronics fail ?

 

[zurk]

Hate to state the obvious, what happens when electronics fail ?

you mean what happens when my 12 GPS systems fail, my 6 phone and tablets fail and my solar powered GPS wristwatch fails ?
At that point my boat will be on fire and I will likely be dead. or maybe a few russian nukes will hit BC and we will have better problems to worry about.

 

[wildmanyeah]

Hate to state the obvious, what happens when electronics fail ?

Did you really need to ask him that lol

 

[Rain City]

I use a compass and radar when in fog or night traveling.
They don't get used much otherwise.

The only time I used my compass was when I was finally heading offshore for the first time. Checked my heading on the way out so I knew that 180 of that was going to get me home. It was nice to know as a last resort. Accuracy wouldn't have mattered in that case.

 

[walleyes]

The only time I used my compass was when I was finally heading offshore for the first time. Checked my heading on the way out so I knew that 180 of that was going to get me home. It was nice to know as a last resort. Accuracy wouldn't have mattered in that case.

I find it a lot easier to follow a compass heading in the fog on long hauls rather than trying to follow the heading line on the electronics. I have a flush mount compass on order for the new boat and will be installing it. Just for safety sake as well. We mostly fish the west side so makes it easy for momma if something happens. My poor girl is electronics illiterate and we have tried to teach her but its a slow process. At least with a compass she can just point it east and go, eventually she will hit the island and follow it until she comes across someone for help. Just a simple safe back up. So again accuracy is not a huge concern, as long as its not out by 180 deg its all good.

 

[Bill 310]

I use Navionics and my Raymarine, to get my course set up, and determine my heading. Then I use my compass, in conjunction, with the electronics. It helps stay on course, and I’m not always distracted by the screens. Having said that, I don’t see the need to have my compass 100% accurate. I have Navionics on my iPad and iPhone, plus my Raymarine. So with triple redundantcy, an accurate compass isn’t critical IMO.

I understand that compleletely. Our compass was out by 7 degrees north and had similar but lesser variations on the other points. This is not unusual for compasses.

We are now within 2-3 degrees depending on the heading and I have a deviation number to work from when on a heading or plotting a course.

I understand your reasoning and there is a very small chance that all of your systems will , pardon the pun, "Go South."

Transport Canada has regulations on vesslel size and degree of required accuracy, Our compass needs to be accuracre with no mire that 3 degrees variation. Cruise ships and larger commercial vessels are required to meet much higher levels of accuracy but they also have gyro-compassses.

I learned to navigate with Map and Compass at a very early age and in my teens and early 20's was as a wilderness canoe trip guide. I did some mountaineering walks long before GPS.

We do a fair bit of off the beaten path motorcycle travel arounfd the world and while we use GPS we still have a compass with us.

I didn't post to convert the masses, but rather to explain how to get your compass corrected, if that was important to you as a boater.

For us it was a few hundred dollars well spent. I was greatly amused being thought of as an old timer from Vancovuer Island

 

[SpringVelocity]

Always use it.

 

[Capt_Ed]

I know it's a new world and I was one of the first back in the day to put a gps assisted chart program on my commercial boat but here's what I used to tell my crew when they got too complacent with Truchart. Compass and radar and looking out the wheelhouse windows is "Real Life" charting programs , there just " Cartoons"

 

[ship happens]

Hate to state the obvious, what happens when electronics fail ?

This is why there is zero fundamental argument to this, even though our electronics and backup electronics, serve and protect us. End of the day, that old technology will continue to get you where you need to go.

 

[BC Coast Pilot]

you mean what happens when my 12 GPS systems fail, my 6 phone and tablets fail and my solar powered GPS wristwatch fails ?
At that point my boat will be on fire and I will likely be dead. or maybe a few russian nukes will hit BC and we will have better problems to worry about.

What feeds your autopilot heading?

 

[BC Coast Pilot]

lol. seriously ? just get a DGPS and you dont need to swing anything.
or maybe just swing your compass overboard and shed a few lbs for improved fuel economy.
i have a compass card too but i pull it out only for translink.

Differential GPS stations were discontinued by CCG on December 15th of 2022, so umm no, don't go get yurself a DGPS

 

[Coyote Spooner]

Hate to state the obvious, what happens when electronics fail ?

9/10 people aren’t going to TVMDC calculations on the water. Like I said I have triple redundancy. What’s the chances all three are going to fail, at the same time? If they do, most likely they’re all under water. Then a compass won’t help anyway. When I have my heading, I use the compass, to keep on track.

 

[Coyote Spooner]

I understand that compleletely. Our compass was out by 7 degrees north and had similar but lesser variations on the other points. This is not unusual for compasses.

We are now within 2-3 degrees depending on the heading and I have a deviation number to work from when on a heading or plotting a course.

I understand your reasoning and there is a very small chance that all of your systems will , pardon the pun, "Go South."

Transport Canada has regulations on vesslel size and degree of required accuracy, Our compass needs to be accuracre with no mire that 3 degrees variation. Cruise ships and larger commercial vessels are required to meet much higher levels of accuracy but they also have gyro-compassses.

I learned to navigate with Map and Compass at a very early age and in my teens and early 20's was as a wilderness canoe trip guide. I did some mountaineering walks long before GPS.

We do a fair bit of off the beaten path motorcycle travel arounfd the world and while we use GPS we still have a compass with us.

I didn't post to convert the masses, but rather to explain how to get your compass corrected, if that was important to you as a boater.

For us it was a few hundred dollars well spent. I was greatly amused being thought of as an old timer from Vancovuer Island

I totally understand. I’ve taken multiple boating courses and fully understand compass navigation. I’ve never heard of transport canada checking compass accuracy, on a recreational boat. I’m just stating what I do in 2023 on my boat.