On 7-Nov-2003, Dave Van wrote:

But aren't there some compasses that have a separate mounting
plate that the compass then attaches to?

There are several. The only brand I remember ('cause I own one)
is the Brunton (70UN and 70UNE - the latter being the illuminated
version). There is a similar compass from another company. The
Brunton is pricy, but as Brian says, it's good (the 70UN is the
hand/deck mount version of the 70P).

The only complaint I have with this compass is that it sits high
on the deck. I really like the fact that I can take it in hand
and do sightings on references and get bearings to assist in
position determination.

The Ritchie Kayaker compass has a twist-off feature. I assume
this means that it can be removed and remounted on other kayaks.
This is also an excellent compass.

Mike