when winterizing my boat, I did not remove the large compass.

recently, i looked at the boat and the compass liquid was empty. i
suspect it froze and cracked a seal and drained out upon thawing(?) i
suppose this liquid is not freeze-proof...

1) should large liquid filled compasses typically be removed prior to
winter or was this probably a freak incident and the liquid should not
freeze?
2) what fluid is typically used in the compass? if water, can i
simply repair by refilling (and sealing) or should I scrap it?


-mark

mark s wrote:

when winterizing my boat, I did not remove the large compass.

recently, i looked at the boat and the compass liquid was empty. i
suspect it froze and cracked a seal and drained out upon thawing(?) i
suppose this liquid is not freeze-proof...

1) should large liquid filled compasses typically be removed prior to
winter or was this probably a freak incident and the liquid should not
freeze?
2) what fluid is typically used in the compass? if water, can i
simply repair by refilling (and sealing) or should I scrap it?


-mark

It's alcohol-based. Perhaps some rummy broke into your boat and drank it.

You have a leak or a crack.


--
Email sent to is never read.

I wasn't NEAR Mark's boat.

Speaking of compasses (compi?), I have the little adhesive one that sticks
to the windshield, last week it was on the floor, the elasticity in the
suction cup fades with the cold.

-W



"Harry Krause" wrote in message
-

It's alcohol-based. Perhaps some rummy broke into your boat and drank it.

Clams Canino wrote:

I wasn't NEAR Mark's boat.

Speaking of compasses (compi?), I have the little adhesive one that sticks
to the windshield, last week it was on the floor, the elasticity in the
suction cup fades with the cold.

-W

Wow...I'll bet *that* plays havoc with the sex toys of some of the
posters here.

We've been having some really sweet weather the last few days, Clams.
Got up near 70 yesterday, and when I last looked at my outdoor
thermometer, it read 63F.

I just know there will be a price to pay for this nice weather.


--
Email sent to is never read.

On Sun, 04 Jan 2004 10:32:14 -0500, Harry Krause
wrote:

It's alcohol-based.

=============================

Actually not, at least not any more. I once damaged an expensive
sailboat compass by refilling with alcohol, only to watch the entire
interior of the globe turn cloudy. It turns out that the correct
fluid is a very clear, low viscosity petroleum based product which
looks and smells suspiciously like white kerosene or mineral spirits.
Some manufacturers reportedly use a silicone based fluid however which
is incompatible with kerosene or mineral spirits. Best advice it it's
a good compass is to contact the manufacturer and get whatever they
recommend.

Wayne.B wrote:
On Sun, 04 Jan 2004 10:32:14 -0500, Harry Krause
wrote:

It's alcohol-based.

=============================

Actually not, at least not any more. I once damaged an expensive
sailboat compass by refilling with alcohol, only to watch the entire
interior of the globe turn cloudy. It turns out that the correct
fluid is a very clear, low viscosity petroleum based product which
looks and smells suspiciously like white kerosene or mineral spirits.
Some manufacturers reportedly use a silicone based fluid however which
is incompatible with kerosene or mineral spirits. Best advice it it's
a good compass is to contact the manufacturer and get whatever they
recommend.




Cool! It's been a while since I've emptied the contents of compasses
into drinking glasses filled with OJ and ice!

Thanks for the correction!



--
Email sent to is never read.

What to do probably depends on the quality of the compass.
The Mirage 33 sailboat I crew on came equipped with an
Aqua meter...something or other on a binnacle stand that was very clouded
from exposure to sunlight..
A local 'expert' said it was impractical to fix as parts (seals) & globe
were very hard to comeby. He recommended a new Ritchie at about $ 500.00
Cdn.
The skipper balked so the old one is still on the boat...we just don't use
it much :-)

mark s wrote in message
m...
when winterizing my boat, I did not remove the large compass.

recently, i looked at the boat and the compass liquid was empty. i
suspect it froze and cracked a seal and drained out upon thawing(?) i
suppose this liquid is not freeze-proof...

1) should large liquid filled compasses typically be removed prior to
winter or was this probably a freak incident and the liquid should not
freeze?
2) what fluid is typically used in the compass? if water, can i
simply repair by refilling (and sealing) or should I scrap it?


-mark

On Sun, 04 Jan 2004 10:59:06 -0500, Harry Krause
wrote:

Cool! It's been a while since I've emptied the contents of compasses
into drinking glasses filled with OJ and ice!

==================================================

You can still do that but you'll get a different buzz...

On Sun, 04 Jan 2004 16:15:26 GMT, "Don White"
wrote:
A local 'expert' said it was impractical to fix as parts (seals) & globe
were very hard to comeby. He recommended a new Ritchie at about $ 500.00
Cdn.
The skipper balked so the old one is still on the boat...we just don't use
it much :-)
================================================== ====

After my unfortunate alcohol experiment on a Danforth Constellation, I
was able to get it factory rebuilt for about 20% of replacement cost.

It came back looking like new.

Half mineral oil, half kerosene.

"Wayne.B" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 04 Jan 2004 10:32:14 -0500, Harry Krause
wrote:

It's alcohol-based.

=============================

Actually not, at least not any more. I once damaged an expensive
sailboat compass by refilling with alcohol, only to watch the entire
interior of the globe turn cloudy. It turns out that the correct
fluid is a very clear, low viscosity petroleum based product which
looks and smells suspiciously like white kerosene or mineral spirits.
Some manufacturers reportedly use a silicone based fluid however which
is incompatible with kerosene or mineral spirits. Best advice it it's
a good compass is to contact the manufacturer and get whatever they
recommend.