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Swinging compass.

  • 26-03-2019 12:30pm
    #1
    NUTLEY BOY
    Registered Users Posts: 2,344 ✭✭✭


    Do modern commercial vessels with their electronic sophistications still "swing the compass" ?


Comments

  • #2
    Tabnabs
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 15,684 Mod ✭✭✭✭Tabnabs


    Yes, and regularly check and record the magnetic compass error. Or at least on ships with a proper standard of watch-keeping and seamanship.


  • #3
    LiamoSail
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,294 ✭✭✭LiamoSail


    Tabnabs wrote: »
    Yes, and regularly check and record the magnetic compass error. Or at least on ships with a proper standard of watch-keeping and seamanship.

    I’ll hazard a guess and say you’re not at sea anymore??

    Cadets aside, no ones doing a compass error every watch these days. I’ll always take a quick gyro error against transits and regularly check the magnetic against the gyro but that’s about it. I still have the compass swung every two years though


  • #4
    Tabnabs
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 15,684 Mod ✭✭✭✭Tabnabs


    LiamoSail wrote: »
    I’ll hazard a guess and say you’re not at sea anymore??

    Cadets aside, no ones doing a compass error every watch these days. I’ll always take a quick gyro error against transits and regularly check the magnetic against the gyro but that’s about it. I still have the compass swung every two years though

    It's funny, it turns out that while I came ashore just a few years ago, you still do exactly the same as me and regularly check the magnetic error...

    The only real difference is that deep sea, it's all celestial for gyro error and every watch keeper takes their turn to keep their nav skills fresh. That is still the practice, this ancient mariner is informed


  • #5
    LiamoSail
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,294 ✭✭✭LiamoSail


    Tabnabs wrote: »
    It's funny, it turns out that while I came ashore just a few years ago, you still do exactly the same as me and regularly check the magnetic error...

    The only real difference is that deep sea, it's all celestial for gyro error and every watch keeper takes their turn to keep their nav skills fresh. That is still the practice, this ancient mariner is informed

    You must be an orals examiner if people are telling you they’re still doing it lol

    Similar to what you said though, I check the magnetic against the gyro but wouldn’t be bothered checking against true. Obviously it’s much of a muchness given I know my gyro error anyway.

    In any case, point I was getting at is I’d be surprised if anyone is still bothering with celestial observations these days. I did it deep sea years back but not in recent times. I certainly wouldn’t be bothered with it these days. I seem to recall plenty of “overcast” entries in the deck log under the compass error column.


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