Marinaut Compass Location

sketchrbob · Posted: Fri Oct 21, 2011 11:00 am Post subject: Marinaut Compass Location

In the post "Away they Go" I was interested that the dash board has a molded location for the compass. It is in a perfect spot -- right in the line of sight for the helmsman. No more guessing about where to put the compass. That spot is taken! Congratulations on your forethought . I am sure it will be appreciated. Is that a Ritchie Trek model? I suspect the location would also take a slightly larger compass?

I wish more builders would be as thoughtful!

Bob W Very Happy

C-Nile · Posted: Fri Oct 21, 2011 11:17 am Post subject:

Bob: It is a Ritchie compass, but I don't know the specific model. You can't put in a larger compass, because there is very little clearance left between the compass and glass window/frame. However, it is great to have a manual compass of this quality should something ever go wrong with the electrical system. We found it useful, the display was plenty large enough, and although we have a good chartplotter/GPS, we found ourselves looking at the compass, because it is at a perfect viewing height and angle.

sketchrbob · Posted: Fri Oct 21, 2011 2:03 pm Post subject:

Hi, Thanks for your response. Glad you are enjoying the new Marinaut. As the very first owners you will be Celebrities! After looking at the picture again I believe you have the Explorer Model. A fine compass. If it is the Explorer, you will notice that the corrector screws are at a 45° angle on the base of your compass. If it needs adjusting (and I will have a post on how to do that posted next Thursday) the left hand screw will adjust the east-west direction and the right hand screw will do the same for the north-south. Congratulations on the new boat Bob W Very Happy

Les Lampman · Posted: Tue Oct 25, 2011 2:21 pm Post subject:

sketchrbob · Posted: Sun Oct 30, 2011 11:42 am Post subject:

I became aware of it through the picture of Marinaut C-Nile with Rich and Betty. This is under the post -- "There they go". The compass is on a molded location obviously intended for a compass. From some checking I learned it is a Ritchie "Explorer" model which is actually identical to their "Angler" model. The only difference is that model has "Angler" printed on the compass body. I also realized where I had seen the Explorer model before. It is used on the 36' Hinckley Picnic Boat built in Trenton, Maine. I have adjusted the compass on three of these beautiful boats. The Picnic Boat sells for between $400,000 and $500,000 and there is a waiting list! Martha Stewart has one which may or may not impress you.

So if you have the Explorer compass you may have some good company. The point is you know Hinckley would not use it if it were not a top notch compass. Rich and Betty like theirs very much. Rich says that it is so easy to see where it is mounted that he steers by it much of the time.

Les: The above is from my post: "Another Compass Suggestion". When I first saw the compass on the Hinckley Picnic Boat I couldn't believe it. Why would Hinckley put such a cheap compass on such an expensive boat? Of course I realized it was primarily a back up for their GPS, but after I started working with it my feelings about the compass changed! It really is a great compass- stable, easy to read with good damping. I think it was a good choice for the Aquanaut! Bob W
Very Happy

Les Lampman · Posted: Tue Nov 01, 2011 7:51 pm Post subject:

Thanks Rob!