Good answer Gary. I'm not sure what time zone you
are in. I think Jeff beat you. However, I'll give you
1 point and honorable mention for answering the question
very well.

BTW, I also keep a compass on my lifejacket. I actually
used it twice in fog, once in San Francisco Bay to
find the Berkeley Pier, and another time in Norwalk
Harbor, which along with using my depth gauge and
listening for seagulls complaining on the shore of the
islands, managed to find my way home.

"Gary" wrote

Bart Senior wrote:
I can think of four compasses each with a dedicated
purpose, that I'd want on an ocan going yacht.
What are they?

Steering compass at the helm. (Inside and out)
Hand held compass for visual fixes.
Boats compass for an emergency backup.
Drawing compass for radar fixes.
Tattle tale compass for glancing at from your bunk.
Fluxgate for the autopilot/radar stabilization.
Oops, more than 4!

"Gary" wrote in message

I have a KVH and find it a bit too finnicky to use. It is a geek type
compass that is not as functional as it sounds. A simple handheld works
better if not quite as precisely.

I guess it all depends..... I used mine for nautical and land based
navigation for work extensively for the first month I had it.. The buttons
became second nature quickly. If you only use it occasionally... well yeah
you'd be better off with a manual only. You have to admit that 9 bearing
with time of shot memory as well as range is pretty useful when navigating.
My unit has never failed. I would really be ****ed if KVH did not back up
their product though.

CM

I spend a lot of time down at Cove. A good friend
of mine owns the sailing school there, and I had my
boat hauled there a few years ago.

My boats are in Stratford, and Bridgeport.

What boat do you have. Chances are good I've
seen it. Where do you live?

"Dave" wrote
"Bart Senior" .@. said:

another time in Norwalk
Harbor, which along with using my depth gauge and
listening for seagulls complaining on the shore of the
islands, managed to find my way home.

Are you in Norwalk, Bart? I've got my boat hauled at Norwalk Cove Marina.

Bart Senior wrote:
Good answer Gary. I'm not sure what time zone you
are in. I think Jeff beat you. However, I'll give you
1 point and honorable mention for answering the question
very well.

BTW, I also keep a compass on my lifejacket. I actually
used it twice in fog, once in San Francisco Bay to
find the Berkeley Pier, and another time in Norwalk
Harbor, which along with using my depth gauge and
listening for seagulls complaining on the shore of the
islands, managed to find my way home.

"Gary" wrote


Bart Senior wrote:

I can think of four compasses each with a dedicated
purpose, that I'd want on an ocan going yacht.
What are they?


Steering compass at the helm. (Inside and out)
Hand held compass for visual fixes.
Boats compass for an emergency backup.
Drawing compass for radar fixes.
Tattle tale compass for glancing at from your bunk.
Fluxgate for the autopilot/radar stabilization.
Oops, more than 4!



Pacific Time Zone

Capt.Mooron wrote:
"Gary" wrote in message


I have a KVH and find it a bit too finnicky to use. It is a geek type
compass that is not as functional as it sounds. A simple handheld works
better if not quite as precisely.


I guess it all depends..... I used mine for nautical and land based
navigation for work extensively for the first month I had it.. The buttons
became second nature quickly. If you only use it occasionally... well yeah
you'd be better off with a manual only. You have to admit that 9 bearing
with time of shot memory as well as range is pretty useful when navigating.
My unit has never failed. I would really be ****ed if KVH did not back up
their product though.

CM

I thought that the 9 bearings/times in memory would be useful but I
still prefer to note the times and bearings so I don't have to put
everything down and look into the KVH and push buttons. My goal is to
shoot the fix and have it plotted with a DR in 3 minutes. The KVH slows
the process a lot. I also find it slow to use. It is relegated to
quick shots of approaching vessels, when I am away from the helm, so I
can check bearing movement and rate.

"Gary" wrote in message
news:nJNjf.6539$Eq5.885@pd7tw1no...
Capt.Mooron wrote:
"Gary" wrote in message


I have a KVH and find it a bit too finnicky to use. It is a geek type
compass that is not as functional as it sounds. A simple handheld works
better if not quite as precisely.


I guess it all depends..... I used mine for nautical and land based
navigation for work extensively for the first month I had it.. The
buttons became second nature quickly. If you only use it occasionally...
well yeah you'd be better off with a manual only. You have to admit that
9 bearing with time of shot memory as well as range is pretty useful when
navigating. My unit has never failed. I would really be ****ed if KVH did
not back up their product though.

CM
I thought that the 9 bearings/times in memory would be useful but I still
prefer to note the times and bearings so I don't have to put everything
down and look into the KVH and push buttons. My goal is to shoot the fix
and have it plotted with a DR in 3 minutes. The KVH slows the process a
lot. I also find it slow to use. It is relegated to quick shots of
approaching vessels, when I am away from the helm, so I can check bearing
movement and rate.

I can see that... still, being able to take even 2 or three bearings and
going below to plot at the nav station is certainly useful. The range finder
is great for coastal landmark verification to compliment another DR plot. I
have also used the range finder when racing to confirm distance to other
vessels from mast height. I'm not touting it as a replacement for a standard
hand bearing compass... but it's an excellent hand held fluxgate compass,
fits in most jacket pockets. I use mine a fair bit.

CM

I have an autohelm hand bearing compass with
nine memories. I like it, it works well. Have to
keep it level for accuracy.

Capt.Mooron wrote:
I thought that the 9 bearings/times in memory would be useful but I still
prefer to note the times and bearings so I don't have to put everything
down and look into the KVH and push buttons. My goal is to shoot the fix
and have it plotted with a DR in 3 minutes. The KVH slows the process a
lot. I also find it slow to use. It is relegated to quick shots of
approaching vessels, when I am away from the helm, so I can check bearing
movement and rate.

Bart Senior wrote:
I have an autohelm hand bearing compass with
nine memories. I like it, it works well. Have to
keep it level for accuracy.


Capt.Mooron wrote:
I thought that the 9 bearings/times in memory would be useful but I still
prefer to note the times and bearings so I don't have to put everything
down and look into the KVH and push buttons. My goal is to shoot the fix
and have it plotted with a DR in 3 minutes. The KVH slows the process a
lot. I also find it slow to use. It is relegated to quick shots of
approaching vessels, when I am away from the helm, so I can check bearing
movement and rate.

Bad edit, I wrote the above, not Capt Mooron.

Gaz