What is the Best Hand Bearing Compass?

[sketchrbob]

This week's compass topic is hand bearing compasses. Not only which ones are best, but what can they be used for? How many C Dory owners have them? Which ones do you like? and do not like? How do you go about getting a fix from a hand bearing compass?

I am going to sit back and let you guys have a go it this topic. Later, if you want, I will put my 2 cents worth in.

Bob W

[Casey]

I have one of the old Raymarine "Autohelm" fluxgate hand bearing compasses ( http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Raymarine-Autohelm-Electronic-Hand-Bearing-Compass-/120757603619 ) and honestly can't remember why I bought it.

I've used it a few times over the past twenty-or-so years, but it's not particularly vital. If you want to do an intersection or resection is works fine, but other stuff nowday's is more convenient.

The Fujinon binoculars have a very good built-in compass, my iPhone has an incredibly accurate compass (and inclinometer), I can point the boat and get a direction, and last but not least there is my old Scout handheld compass in the drawer.

...so the question remains: Why'd I buy this thing?

Weak moment, I guess....

Casey

[hambone]

sketchrbob

Don't have one yet but reading every word posted about them. I too question then need for one with all that is available. I like the idea of looking at something and being able to get a quick bearing on it and than heading for it.

As I say I'm reading every word on it and will have one if necessary.

H

[Aurelia]

I have used a lot of compasses/transits over the years while doing field mapping/surveying for work and teaching regional SAR wilderness navigation courses for about 10 years. I really like (and own) this one for advanced use because of the alignment system and built in reference cards.

http://store.bruntonoutdoor.com/navigation/professional/8099-pro/

I also like an older silva model I can't find anymore for portablilty, relative stability, and accuracy in a tiny keyring sized package.

A larger equivalant would be something like this:

http://www.thecompassstore.com/9020g.html

[thataway]

Some where I have put away one of the older Weems/Plath 3" card and 2 C cells in the handle, which was carried in a wooden box, with a leather shoulder strap--I purchased this about 1962. This is accurate to a degree and although bulky, and excellent compass.

I still have an Army surplus Lensatic Compass--which is decent for hand bearing use. Although I have several baseplate type of compass (Silva), I have never considered them useful for hand bearing use.

I have owned several of the "Davis" hand bearing compass, with a handle. I had a "A" with copper wire glued to the front site, and a mylar tape streamer for wind bearing; setting marks when running race committees. I would say that you would be within 5 degrees with this type of compass.

I have a good pair of Fujinon Binoculars with a built in compass, and light. Again--this is an accurate and quality compass even though the card is 30 mm, I would say that I can read to half a degree with this setup. The larger card (45 mm) are easier to dampen, and probably are better. I believe than only Steiner still makes the 45 mm card with a compass in binoculars in the Commander series.

Finally, the hand bearing compass, I still use regularly is a "Morrin 2000"
It measures 3" outside diameter of the Hockey puck--and reads both directly on the 2" card and thru the sight. I would guess that the accuracy of this is about 2 degrees, mainly because the sight does not have a good lubber line, although the direct read function does. This has some phosphor lighting, which still seems working well after 30 or so years of ownership. This appears to be identical to the "Vion Mini 2000 which is in the current West marine Catalogue.

My main use currently of a hand bearing compass is when anchoring. When I go full back on an anchor line, I take a set of bearings. I also take a set of bearings when the boat settles down to its resting position. This gives me a reference in case the boat starts to drag. Sure you can use your GPS--but I still use this old fashion.

I have also used hand bearing compasses for navigation. Distance off was one of the most frequent functions I would use. Also we frequently used one in sailboat racing--both to find lay lines for marks, and distance from competition. Also figuring wind shifts and other tactical problems.

[sketchrbob]

A Hand Bearing Compass may seem like a relic from a by-gone era . Actually it can serve several useful purposes as Bob Austin has previously stated. Since you can hold it any place on the vessel you can usually find a spot that is not affected by other magnetic fields (the exception being a steel vessel). This will allow you to get a quick check on your compass (in addition to your GPS). In adjusting compasses we always tried to check a compass three ways when we were done. Running a bearing or range, check by gyro, and by a hand bearing compass.

If you are in an area of vessel traffic you are legally required to check the bearing of any other vessel that is heading toward you or in a crossing situation by a hand bearing compass. If there is a shoal or reef you can quickly plot a danger angle which can be measured by a Hand Bearing Compass. See your copy of Chapman’s Piloting for details. Yes I know your Chart Plotter will tell you all that. But do you know that Solar Flares are becoming much more active? One of the things that Solar Flares do is to disrupt electronic signals of all kinds. The chances are that this round of Solar Flares will not take out your GPS. But like earthquakes you never know when the big one will occur. So it is possible that at some future time we will lose our entire GPS systems either temporarily or for a long time. It took over ten years to put up all 24 satellites for our current system. Maybe we could put them back in five years if we had to do it again. But wouldn’t it be handy if we knew how to get along without GPS as least on a temporary basis.

As Bob Austin says, it is so easy to take a few bearings when you anchor. Then you can check them even in the night if you put a spot light on your bearing points. It sure makes for sounder sleep. Another use of the hand bearing compass was for bow and beam bearings and doubling the angle on the bow to determine distance off from points of land. See Chapmans again for details on doing this. Your co pilot may want to have a paper chart and keep a dead reckoning. It makes long trips go a lot faster and kids eat this stuff up. At least mine did.

I am amazed and a little bit proud of the days when all we had for navigation was a paper chart, compass, parallel rules, and a kitchen timer. We cruised the whole Maine coast in thick fog during more than one summer with this simple gear. Yes, I’ll admit that I was among the first to acquire Consolan, Loran, and GPS when they became available. But I still brush up on my elementary navigation from time to time.

So what are the best hand bearing compasses? I had one of the Morin 2000 that Bob Austin mentioned. I used it in compass work for over 25 years. I believe it was made by a French company, but now it is sold by Weems and Plath for $119. It is accurate down to 1 degree and has internal night lighting with no battery necessary. When my Morin Compass lost part of its fluid, I did not want to fool with it for repair -- by this time I had given up repairs and sold all my repair equipment. Anyway I bought a Plastimo Iris 50. Very similar to the Morin. Price was about $100. It, too is accurate to 1° and has night lighting. I gave it to my son who took over the compass business and he has high praise for the Plastimo. The Morin and Plastimo are referred to as “Hockey Puck” compasses as they are similarly shaped and protected by a rubber casing.

I had other hand bearing compasses including the inexpensive Davis model and a Ritchie model. But these could not hold a candle to the Morin and Plastimo. These two come with a cord to hang them around your neck so it is always handy to take a bearing. You can check the web sites of these companies for details.

One other point. The Ritchie “Angler” and “Explorer” compasses can be removed from their bases by pressing the buttons on each side of the compass. They can be used as Hand Bearing Compasses. However, they only have markings every 5° so have limited accuracy. However they could be used when great accuracy is not required.

Bob W

[rogerbum]

While a hand held compass is a useful thing to have on board (and I do have a Brunton on board), from my reading of the colregs, I'm required to "use all available means appropriate to the prevailing circumstances and conditions to determine if risk of collision exists". I am not "legally required to check the bearing of any other vessel that is heading toward you or in a crossing situation by a hand bearing compass." Taking a bearing by hand held compass is suggested as a possible means of determining the bearing to another boat but it's not legally required.

I find that I can accomplish the same thing by holding my course steady and using a fixed sight line on the boat - e.g. the edge of a window, a rail, etc to determine if the possibility of a future collision exists. Being conservative, I alter my course plenty early and have never had a need to use a hand bearing compass to take a bearing on another boat. In a motor boat capable of both reasonable speed and high maneuverability (like a C-Dory), I don't see the need to take a compass bearing to another boat for the purpose of avoiding a collision. If there were any possible risk of collision, in the time it takes me to get a decent bearing, I can turn the wheel a bit and go around. Now if I were on a sailboat, or a large boat with limited maneuverability I'd feel differently.

[sketchrbob]

Roger, I am sure your method of determining a danger of collision works just fine. All of us use something similar. If we had a "Hockey Puck" compass hanging around our neck we might use that. The rule I was quoting was from the International Steering rules which were quoted on the "Weems and Plath" website

"—INTERNATIONAL— Steering and Sailing Rules
RULE 7 Risk of Collision
(a) Every vessel shall use all available means appropriate to the prevailing circumstances and conditions to determine if risk of collision exists. If there is any doubt such risk shall be deemed to exist.
(b) Proper use shall be made of radar equipment if fitted and operational, including long-range scanning to obtain early warning of risk of collision and radar plotting or equivalent systematic observation of detected objects.
(c) Assumptions shall not be made on the basis of scanty information, especially scanty radar information.
(d) In determining if risk of collision exists the following considerations shall be among those taken into account:
(i) such risk shall be deemed to exist if the compass bearing of an approaching vessel does not appreciably change; (ii) such risk may sometimes exist even when an appreciable bearing change is evident, particularly when approaching a very large vessel or a tow or when approaching a vessel at close range."

I just became so accustomed to using a hand bearing compass in my work that I became prejudiced in its favor. I certainly can understand the other point of view that it is unnecessary.

Bob W