As per Chapter V of SOLAS 74, as amended, a magnetic compass is a compulsory part of the shipborne navigational equipment. This is in addition to the gyro compass & suitably placed repeaters on the ship. This is so primarily because of the reliable dependence one can place on the magnetic compass, as a standby compass in the event of failure of electrical power on board. The regulation also stipulates that the magnetic compass should be properly adjusted and a table or curve of deviations is available on board at all times.Our intention is only to give you a brief description and … [Read more...]
Magnetic Compass & Ship Magnetism – Simplified Explanation
The Ship’s Magnetic Compass The principle of the present day magnetic compass is in no way different from that of the compass used by the ancients. It consists of a magnetised needle, or array of needles pivoted so that rotation is in a horizontal plane.The superiority of the present day ship’s compass results from :better knowledge of the laws of magnetism which govern the behaviour of the compass, greater precision in the construction of compass & binnacle including correctors, better means to control damping of the compass needle.A properly adjusted ship’s compass … [Read more...]
Using Magnetic compass in Polar Regions
Why is magnetic compass useless in higher latitude or Polar Regions? The magnetic compass depends on the horizontal component of the magnetic field of the earth. As the north magnetic pole is approached in the Arctic, the horizontal component becomes progressively weaker until at same point. The magnetic compass becomes useless as a direction measuring device. The magnetic compass will not settle unless the ship remains on the same heading for a prolonged period, so it can be considered almost useless anywhere north of Lancaster Sound.So is it possible to use a magnetic compass in higher … [Read more...]