Boat Name:
Model/Year:
Hull No.
Hailing Port: |
 03/29/2004 6:58 PM Pacific Time
Catalina Direct recommends the Suunto compass for the angled bulkhead of the Catalina 22. Does anyone have this compass or recommend others before I purchase? Thanks in advance.
Charlie Rice |
Paul David
Melbourne Australia
Boat Name: Reflections
Model/Year: 1986
Hull No. 13369
Hailing Port: Melbourne Australia |
03/29/2004 9:19 PM Pacific Time
Charlie - If you don't have a hole drilled in youur bulkhead consider what I did. I used a large hand-bearing compass that comes with an attachment to fit to a bulkhead. I first used one of the SS shround backing plates, attached the mount to it and created a way to slip it into the base of my mast track, but found the distance too far for my 50 y/o eyes to read easily.
Next thing I did was create a crib board out of varnished oak that I bolted the attachment to, along with a removable holder for my GPS and a length of bungee to hold my drinks. This works really well for the few times I actually need a compass, and the hand-bearing one does double-duty, and I didn't cut a hole in the boat.
Paul |
Boat Name:
Model/Year:
Hull No.
Hailing Port: |
03/31/2004 2:33 PM Pacific Time
I went ahead and installed a Plasimo compass in the bulkhead. It is the most beautiful of all the compasses I looked at. Large numbers and face on a red floating 360 degree cylindar, lighted too. Paid about $80. |
Russ Wahlers
Muncie, IN
Boat Name: Spindrift
Model/Year: C22 1988
Hull No. 14410
Hailing Port: Muncie Sailing Club |
04/01/2004 10:35 AM Pacific Time
I also installed a Plastimo compass in bulkhead and am quite pleased with it. Be forewarned, however, that Plastimo does not supply the Mini Contest bulkhead model with deviation adjustment magnets - nor are they an option any longer. I contacted Plastimo, and they found an old set in a replacement bezel and shipped the entire assembly to me from France at no cost. This probably isn't a major issue since I found the non-adjusted deviation less than +/- 4 degrees anyway. I think that Plastimo's large bulkhead model has the magnets either built in or available as an option. |
Boat Name:
Model/Year:
Hull No.
Hailing Port: |
04/01/2004 2:05 PM Pacific Time
Paul, Thanks for the info.
Bob/Russ, How far does the Plastimo compass stick out into the cabin? Bob, what model do you have?
Charlie |
Russ Wahlers
Muncie, IN
Boat Name: Spindrift
Model/Year: C22 1988
Hull No. 14410
Hailing Port: Muncie Sailing Club |
04/01/2004 11:49 PM Pacific Time
Charlie, I have the Plastimo Mini Contest mounted on the port bulkhead, and it protrudes about 1/2 on the inside. The trim ring provides a decent finish on inside. Would send you a photo, but boat's in storage and don't have access. |
Scott Sauve
Newmarket, NH
Boat Name: LaVoile
Model/Year: 1989 Wing Keel
Hull No. 14609
Hailing Port: Sunset Marina-Portland, ME |
04/02/2004 2:48 AM Pacific Time
Charlie:
I installed a Plasmo Contest last year and have a ggod picture. If you forward an e-mail address to me I'll send it along. It is very readable and stable while underway.
[email protected] |
Boat Name:
Model/Year:
Hull No.
Hailing Port: |
04/02/2004 7:16 PM Pacific Time
Russ, Thanks for the info. Scott, I sent you my email today for the photos.
Charlie |
Boat Name:
Model/Year:
Hull No.
Hailing Port: |
04/03/2004 6:41 AM Pacific Time
Charlie,
I don't know the model # of the plastimo compass but it is the largest racing compass for the cockpit bulkhead. There is no problem seeing it while you are seated at the stern. Just look for the best looking compass you ever saw with the Plastimo name. It comes with a red dial face, encapsulated in white with a white matching face cover used when not in use. |
Dick King
Melbourne, FL
Boat Name: Twilight Zone
Model/Year: Sport/2005
Hull No. 15546
Hailing Port: Melbourne, FL |
04/03/2004 7:09 AM Pacific Time
Here is a link to Plastimo USA.
http://www.plastimousa.com/compass_contest.htm |
Boat Name:
Model/Year:
Hull No.
Hailing Port: |
04/03/2004 7:41 AM Pacific Time
Plastmo racing compass #130 |
Boat Name:
Model/Year:
Hull No.
Hailing Port: |
04/03/2004 10:31 AM Pacific Time
Bob/Dick,
Thanks for the information. The Clubhouse really works.
Charlie |
Dick King
Melbourne, FL
Boat Name: Twilight Zone
Model/Year: Sport/2005
Hull No. 15546
Hailing Port: Melbourne, FL |
04/03/2004 11:19 AM Pacific Time
My personal favorite is the #101 Tactical compass. Numbers on the side are easy to read and remember. Pick a course, read the number and steer to it. If I am sailing up wind in a constant breeze, I pick a number that is directly up wind, and and subtract 3 and the results are my port and starboard tack headings. I can easily tell if the wind is backing or veering, based on the numbers. |
tim beckerman
bay shore,new york
Boat Name: storm seacher
Model/Year: c22 1988
Hull No. 14448
Hailing Port: bay shore, new york |
04/03/2004 2:47 PM Pacific Time
i have a sunnto compass mounted on the bulkhead came with the boat new 1988, it's had a good workout over the years. Have done many hours of nightime sailing, the light still works and it always gets me home. |
Frank Nin
Grass Valley, CA
Boat Name: Hola!
Model/Year: C-22, Wing, 2000
Hull No. 15464
Hailing Port: Grass Valley, CA |
04/27/2004 2:01 PM Pacific Time
I have the sunnto 106 compass as well. Looks nice works well and gives you the heel angle to boot. Make sure you buy the optional cover for it. |
Jerry and Tandy Griffin
Antelope, CA
Boat Name: Morning Mist
Model/Year: C-22, 1980
Hull No.
Hailing Port: Folsom Lake, CA |
05/09/2005 3:45 PM Pacific Time
Charlie, this is probably too late to be relevant, but I took a big Saturn from West Marine,and mounted it to a bottom hatch board. Quick connect wiring leads down the bottom to the terminal on the electrical panel, so I can remove it when not under way. The thing works fine, and I don't have a compass sticking out on either side of the bulkhead. |
Michael Smalter
Webster, NY
Boat Name: Marrakesh
Model/Year: 1986
Hull No. 13645
Hailing Port: Rochester, NY |
12/01/2005 3:43 PM Pacific Time
My 1986 boat came with a Saturn bulkhead compass (now made by Rule Industries, same people that make the bilge pumps). At the end of this season (after 19 years), the back seal failed, and all the mineral oil leaked out. I wanted to replace the compass, but didn't want to spend alot of money or cut/patch any holes. I sent the compass to Rule for repair, but yesterday got word it was not repairable. When I asked if I could get a replacement from them cheaper than retail, they said sure! I got a brand new one for 60% of retail.
I know we often complain that prices for sailing gear is outrageous, but my experience is that the long time sailing suppliers are fantastic to work with. I had similar experiences with my Signet depth sounder (they sent me error codes for a 16 year old unit, which fixed the problem), as well as my Schaeffer roller furling (both I and someone else on the list got a free replacement cap for the top of the luff). |
Greg Baker
Charlotte, NC
Boat Name: Sea Sharp Minor
Model/Year: Catalina 22 - 1984 - Swing Keel
Hull No. 11823
Hailing Port: Lake Norman Sailing Club |
12/02/2005 8:19 AM Pacific Time
Something to consider on compass location: mine is on the starboard cabin bulkhead but if I had it to do over again, I would locate it somewhere else. The bulkheads are an ideal place to lean back on when lounging around in the cockpit and I just doesn't work with the compass sticking in your back. But if you are a racer, I guess it doesn't matter. I also have a depth sounder (actually a fish finder) that is not permanently mounted and a handheld gps. I am thinking of mounting all of them on a swing out bracket of some kind that can be retracted into the cockpit when the boat is stored. Has anybody built something like that?
|
Ken Dula
Fletcher, N.C.
Boat Name: Second Wind
Model/Year: Catalina 22 1977
Hull No. 7697
Hailing Port: |
12/02/2005 11:02 AM Pacific Time
Greg-
I followed someone else's idea and built a duplicate lower hatch board that I can leave in the cabin when the boat is stored. I put my fish(depth)finder on the left and mounted my GPS on the right. I am planning on mounting a compass in the middle. I used a length of 1X4 wood and that is the same height and thickness as the original board, so I only had to cut the ends. I have only tested it on the trailer, I haven't had the time or weather to go sailing! |
Bob Conway
Huber Heights, Ohio
Boat Name: Spindrift
Model/Year: C22/1979
Hull No. #8717
Hailing Port: Buck Creek, Ohio |
12/02/2005 12:15 PM Pacific Time
I mounted my depth sounder on a gate hinge. It was MUCH cheaper than the brackes they sell in West Marine. I use a buggie cord to secure it in place, either out into the cabin entrance area or closed, back inside the cabin. The bungie cord allows it to move should someone forget it is there and runs into it as they enter the cabin.
As far as the compass. I have mine on the bulkhead. I wish I could have found a better spot. I like the hatchboard idea, but I have also read that by mounting it so close to the keel winch, the resulting deviation is extreme. |
Greg Guenther
Belleville, IL
Boat Name: Magnificat
Model/Year: 1970
Hull No. 473
Hailing Port: Belleville, IL |
12/03/2005 6:08 AM Pacific Time
I bought a small electronic compass last winter from EBay I have decided that I don't need to do business with EBay anymore but that is a different story. I am working with a low budget and purchased a fish finder for $80 from Bass Pro Shop. I fabricated a mount and mounted it on the mast under the boom. That is a great place for it. I mounted my small E compass under the depth finder and it would not calibrate, I guess that the electronic interference from the depth finder messed it up. I put it on a small board in the hatch and found it to be within 4 degrees of my analog bearing compass. Close enough for where I sail on Carlyle Lake and other smaller bodies of water in Southern Illinois. I would prefer a bulkhead compass and when the new son-in-law and I start racing this spring I might spring (get it?) for one. I don't have a GPS yet but wonder if putting it close to the compass will have the same effect as the depth finder. Having some electronic (TV and Stereo Repair) experience, I know that all electronic or electric devices put off an electrical and or magnetic field. It doesn't matter what they are and compasses are magnetic devices. You should be sure to mount your compass well away from things like stereos, speakers and your VHF since they have magnets in the speakers.
|
Ken Dula
Fletcher, N.C.
Boat Name: Second Wind
Model/Year: Catalina 22 1977
Hull No. 7697
Hailing Port: |
12/03/2005 8:20 AM Pacific Time
OK now I have a question. If I get a compass and want to "experiment" with placing it on my hatch board, what is the best way to check it for accuracy? As was pointed out, the keel winch might have an effect on the compass, but how would I know?? Would the compass in my GPS tell me? Should I just use the compass in the GPS and forget about adding another?? Help? |
Michael Smalter
Webster, NY
Boat Name: Marrakesh
Model/Year: 1986
Hull No. 13645
Hailing Port: Rochester, NY |
12/03/2005 10:47 AM Pacific Time
The GPS heading is a calculated heading based on the movement of the boat. It measures motion over the earth's surface. If there is no wind or current, the GPS heading is identical to the direction the boat is moving. If you want to check out your compass using your GPS, do it while motoring on a calm day.
For cruising, a GPS can be superior to a compass, because it automatically allows for leeway when sailing. There may be a dampening function which averages your heading and/or speed over several seconds. The delay in response might confuse someone who is racing.
Despite the benefits of the GPS, they are subject to battery life, water, etc. and could fail completely all of a sudden. I'd recommend getting a compass in addition to the GPS. You might want to try one of the hockey puck bearing compasses as a back up to the GPS. They are small, do not interfere with lounging in the cockpit, and could provide accurate bearings to landmarks the boat is not pointing at. |
Russ Wahlers
Muncie, IN
Boat Name: Spindrift
Model/Year: C22 1988
Hull No. 14410
Hailing Port: Muncie Sailing Club |
12/04/2005 10:12 AM Pacific Time
For what it's worth, I installed a Plastimo bulkhead compass a couple years ago. Works fine. At the time, I had just finished a U.S. Power Squadron piloting course where determining compass' magnetic deviation was covered in detail. Deviation caused by boat's electro-magetic field actually varies depending on true heading. I attempted to measure deviation for various headings going by USPS procedure and found that deviation never exceeded 3 degrees for any heading. My conclusion was that at least for me and the type of Great Lakes sailing I do ... compass deviation is more an academic issue (i.e., Ohio is south and Canada is north). Sarcasm aside, U.S. Power Squadrons' piloting course (which I consider an excellent intro to navigation) has been radically revised and is now basically GPS oriented. GPS is much easier and more accurate for most boaters because there's no magnetic deviation to contend with and more importantly ... GPS unit can be set to read 'true heading' so that magnetic variation (another issue entirely) is compensated for automatically and consistent with published charts (almost always oriented to 'true' north). GPS is great in my book. |
Greg Baker
Charlotte, NC
Boat Name: Sea Sharp Minor
Model/Year: Catalina 22 - 1984 - Swing Keel
Hull No. 11823
Hailing Port: Lake Norman Sailing Club |
12/04/2005 10:48 AM Pacific Time
Maybe it is obvious but I think a point needs to be made here. The GPS shows which way you are moving and the compass shows which way you are pointing. So if you are becalmed facing north but drifting in a current setting you to port, your compass will say north and your gps will say west. |
Al Gearing
Burleson, Texas
Boat Name: Torch of Freedom
Model/Year: C-22 '76
Hull No. 6448
Hailing Port: Arlington YC |
12/05/2005 7:49 AM Pacific Time
You're right on plastic boats, you will find it deviation really doesn't matter. The only time that deviation becomes a factor is on metal boats. I sailed to Ensenda on a borrowed boat, the skipper was saying that he thought it was foolish of the owner to reckon that he have the compass swung before the trip. Local sailing in races we seldom use a compass for navigating, just point at a mark and then hold that reading. However, this was a steel boat imported from Holland, it was wild trying to tack through 90 degrees, sometimes it was 120 and others only 70 due to the deviation. Some were worried about the trip home, but a night there was sea full of stren lights, we just headed into the middle of them. For what it's worth.
Al Ge |
Chuck
East Meadow, NY
Boat Name: Doo Dad
Model/Year: 1984
Hull No. 12418
Hailing Port: Bayshore, NY |
12/05/2005 11:35 PM Pacific Time
Plastic boat or not, compass location does make a difference to deviation. The prior owner of my boat mounted it in the vertical part of the step into the cabin, just behind the keel winch. Not only the winch causes deviation in my compass, but simply by raising or lowering the keel, I can watch the compass heading change by approximately 10-15 degrees. I plan to move the compass higher up on the cabin bulkhead over the winter. |
Al Gearing
Burleson, Texas
Boat Name: Torch of Freedom
Model/Year: C-22/'76
Hull No. 6448
Hailing Port: Arlington YC |
12/07/2005 5:12 AM Pacific Time
I stand corrected, I didn't think of the winch and keel being close enough to effect it. Thanks for correcting me.
Al Ge |
Linda Hoffecker
Lancaster, PA
Boat Name: t/c
Model/Year: '82 Cat 22
Hull No. t/c
Hailing Port: Havre de Grace, MD |
11/06/2013 11:54 PM Pacific Time
Greg, where is the transducer for your fish finder located? Thanks.
Also, I am looking for someone parting out their Catalina22 because I need a compass (for an '82), depth finder or fish finder. Also, a furling set up plus the sail.
Thanks! |
