Ohw, Ai! That is a tough one to answer.

Ohw, Ai! That is a tough one to answer.

I am not going to give an answer as there are as many solutions as there are Wayfarer sailors. Some prefer Silva others swear by another brand.  I shall limit myself to describing solutions that I know and give my opinion, for what its worth.

On Swiebertje I have a mast mounted Silva 103 PE racing compass. This compass is a little bigger then the 85 I'll discus below. Having a large compass is good if your eyes arms become to short for reading. The 103PE is the same as the Silva 100P but has a dual scale, one for each lubber line  whereas with the 100P you have to add or subtract the numbers yourself when using the offset lubber lines. The 100P has a lighting option that the 103PE lacks. Lighting may be useful for Ocean crossing cruisers. When mast mounted there is a problem with the CB when the mast is lowered. I have used wing-nuts to mount the compass to its bracket but in real life it is just to complicated to remove the compass every time. Instead I use the boom crutch on the mast which keeps the compass just millimetres above the CB. Doing it this way, you need a tall crew to lift the mast from the boat. My compass is scratched at the front (back?) but not where the offset lubber lines are. But after eight years it is still very usable.


On Knøn I had a Silva 85 which fits neatly in the triangle in front of the mast behind the breakwater. The 85 does not need a deck cut-out. Due to its shape, it guides the Genoa sheets nicely over it. The offset lubber lines are perfect for reading the compass from the gunwale position or when hiked out.  The 85 has a memory ring for Alzheimer patients who can't remember where they should be going.


A friend of mine has a Silva 70UN mounted, handle down, against the forward bulkhead. I think it is not easy to read in that location. The 70UN has the advantage (?) that it is detachable and can also be used as a hand-bearing compass. I prefer to use a small necklace-style bearing compass. That way I cannot lose my main compass, it stays fixed to the boat at all times.  I have it also seen this compass mounted on top of the thwart but I think that any compass in that position brings large parallax errors, too big for proper navigation IMHO.



The TackTick electronic compasses are popular amongst racers (start timer, header alert beeper, etc.)  but I believe they are not good for cruising because they are electronic. On any sea-going vesel, or aeroplane for that matter,  the magnetic compass is still one of the few primary instruments. A magnetic compass will get you home when the power fails or seawater penetrates the electronics. Electronic gadgets are OK but still not a  replacement for your primary instruments.


A side note: An iPad is not a replacement for a waterproof paper chart and a SatNav is not a replacement for common sense. I sound like a big Silva fan but there are many other brands that are just as good. (On Juffrouw Saartje I have a Plastimo 101). A few points to keep in mind are:

• Big characters allow for quick reading.
• Reading a 3 or 30 instead of 300 degrees is something you will get used to pretty quick, it allows faster reading. Just a quick glance is enough to know where you are going.
• Dual scales seem nice but the characters will be smaller on each scale.
  
• Get a compass with offset lubber lines so you can read the compass from the gunwale without parallax errors. Then mount it where it minimizes the parallax error when sitting on  the gunwale or hiking out.  
• If you plan to sail after dusk, get a compass with a lighting option.
• Bigger is better, specially if your eyesight isn't what it used to be.
• Use an electronic compass only for racing, or back it up with a magnetic one.

Hope this helps, best wishes for 2014

Ton Jaspers (Swiebertje - W10445)