Handbearing Compass

Handbearing Compass

Suunto KB 14 Handbearing Precision Compass NEW
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US $138.99

Pioneer Research Handbearing Grey Compass HP2
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US $119.99

Do you know the three fastest ways to take a bearing in a small cruising boat? Are you backing up your electronic sailing navigation with the best technique? Add these tips to your skipper skill-set today.

In familiar waters, the sailing navigator relies on navigation by eye and his or her nautical GPS to keep in safe water. But you will need a lot more once you sail outside of the jetties or into an unfamiliar harbor.

Object Selection and Shooting Priority

Take two or more bearings to objects ashore. Choose prominent, charted objects like tanks, towers, church spires, or lighthouses. Select objects close to 90 degrees apart for the strongest fix. Use one of these methods for bearings:

Shoot the object closest to the bow or stern first. These objects change bearings the slowest. Next, shoot the object closest to the beam. These change the fastest. Take these last to reflect the most recent position of your vessel. Plot both bearings onto your chart with a protractor or parallel rules.

Use on of these three methods in the order shown (1 being the strongest method to 3, being the weakest method).

1. Hand Bearing Compass

Stand in the cockpit away from metal dodger frames. Remove any magnetic materials from yourself (metal rimmed glasses, cell phones, jewelry). Put the compass around your neck, hold it up to your eye, and level it. When the numbers are in focus, you have the compass level.

2. Sailboat Compass Turn and Shoot

Choose an object off one side of the bow and another close to the beam. Turn the boat for a few seconds, line up with the bow object and read the bearing in dictated by the sailboat steering compass. Write this down. Repeat this method with the object close to the beam.

3. Sailboat Compass Cut Bearings

Choose an object off one side of the bow and another close to the beam. Hold your dominant hand in a "karate chop" position over the middle of your sailboat compass. Bend down behind your hand, site over the top, and point at the object off the bow. Read the compass bearing. Repeat this method with the second object.

As a sailing skipper, you will need to know all three of these chart navigation backup methods to add to your ditty-bag of sailing skills. Practice them to build your accuracy, boost your confidence, and give yourself peace-of-mind wherever you choose to cruise.

Captain John teaches sailing skippers the skills they need to learn to sail like a pro! Get his popular free report "Ten Top Boat Safety Checks for Cruising Boat Skippers" at Learn to Sail at Skippertips.com.

John offers a free weekly sailing tips newsletter. Join his site to learn hundreds of little-known sailing tips and techniques with articles, videos, and live sailing forums at Learn to Sail at Skippertips.com.

KB-20 Handbearing Compass, Yellow

$74.99

mfr: SuuntoThe Suunto KB-20 is a hand-bearing floating compass weights only 40 g. It is an ideal instrument for marine, professional and outdoor use. The Suunto KB-20 has an accuracy that is better than 1 degree, graduation is 1Â° and has reverse scale.Special Features : Floating waterproof compass is ideal for outdoor, marine, and professional use.FloatingBalanced for 5 zonesThe cards of these compasses are immersed in a special dampening fluid that ensures vibrationless, smooth movement.They are pivoted on polished sapphire tipsPermanent anti-static treatmentThe lens aperture is restricted horizontally by a column, which automatically centers the eye on the optical axis, thus eliminating parallax.

Carson HU401 AdventurePak HU401 Binocular Compass Flashlight Whistle Thermometer

$36.92

Carson AdventurePak HU401 is everything you need for great adventures and for great gift Perfect for backpacking biking camping and all forms of exploration. Includes a compact Carson 5x30mm Binocular Carson Flashlight Carson Lensatic Compass with true handbearing triangulation capabilities and a combination signal Carson whistle /thermometer. For use: Ages 7 to adult.