From: Brian Nystrom
Organization: AT&T Worldnet
Newsgroups: rec.boats.paddle.touring
Date: Fri, 07 Nov 2003 12:25:05 GMT
Subject: Deck Compass Recommendations

The problem with this type of compass is that they're prone to
variations in mounting and shifing in use. They're simply not accurate.
They are certainly better than nothing, but I wouldn't rely on one. I
suggest that you bite the bullet and buy compasses each boat and mount
them securely. If you seach the web, you can find the Ritchie Kayaker
for under $50 at places like Hamilton Marine. If your boats have a
recess for the Brunton 70P (formerly the Silva/Nexus 70P), it's
expensive, but it's a great compass.

--
Regards

Brian




I don't have a need for a compass at this time so I haven't really shopped
the offereings. I have an Orca that I use for "fun" sometimes and agree
that it is not one to rely on. I like that it can be moved from boat to boat
effortlessly. But aren't there some compasses that have a separate mounting
plate that the compass then attaches to? This would make it feasible to buy
a few mounting plates and one compass. If this doesn't exist, then some
innovative compass manufacturer needs to get busy...



John Caldeira wrote:

I want to buy a removable deck compass for my touring kayak and would
appreciate recommendations on features, brands and models.

I have several kayaks and don't want to buy a separate compass for
each one, so one that can be moved between kayaks might be best.

A store near me offers one model called Suunto Orca, but it has very
small numbers that seemingly would be hard to read, and appeared to be
made of cheap plastic. Can I do better for under $100 USD?

Thanks,
John

John Caldeira
Dallas, Texas, USA
http://www.outdoorplace.org/