Masters Compass - Todays Lesson

Obtain values for Coefs A-D

Masters checks after a long lay-up
Location of a suitable swing area
Communications
Tentative swing
What is on a Deviation Card
Heeling Error Coef J
Adjusters correction of HE
Swing to find Coefs
A, B, C & D
1. Flinders bar in place
2. Set the spheres half way in
3. B & C correctors in place
4. Swing & take bearings on
cardinal & inter-cardinal
headings
5. Compile a table of deviations
HDG Comp. Mag. DEV. DEV. A B C D
brg. Brg E/W +/-
N 053
NE 052
E 048
SE 050
S 058
SW 066
W 064
NW 057
 Masters checks after a long lay-up
Compass is part of the Safety Certificates
Sight check posn,size & nos of correctors
Semi permanent poles in the soft iron
correctors
Anneal (600 straw colour, cool naturally)/ roll
around the deck
Gimbal is it seized up? Clean & vaseline
Deflect test 90 each way / smooth motion /
time it each way
Bubbles in the fluid
Check the binnacle position on and in f & a
line
At sea perform a swing and compile a
deviation card
 Location of swing area
Traffic
Water depth ( > twice draft)
Bridges, outfalls, underwater cables etc
Magnetic anomalies
Target
Distance from target (>16nm)
Target not on principle bearing
Day / night
 Comms
VTS
Coast Guard
Owner
Charterer
Flags - OQ
 When is an Adjustment neccesary?
When first installed & at the end of the first
voyage
When they become unreliable
Large & unsymmetrical deviations
serious damage & repairs
struck by lightening
long lay up
serious fire & repairs
After structural alterations
After alterations of electrical or magnetic
equipment near the compass position
Every 2years
Tentative
swing
 Tentative Swing
Direction of swing turning circle
Start on any cardinal heading
Eg Head & take bearings on E, S & W
Calculate the Magnetic bearing
On WEST remove ALL of the deviation
Head NORTH, take a bearing and remove ALL of the
deviation
Head EAST, take a bearing and remove HALF the deviation
Head SOUTH , take a bearing and remove HALF the
deviation
Head onto any inter cardinal heading and take a bearing
and remove HALF the deviation
Head on the adjacent heading, take a bearing and remove
HALF the deviation
Make a full swing taking bearing to obtain a Deviation Card
Deviation Card

Whats on it?
 Deviation Card
Vessels name
Date of correction
Position provides an idea of Hf &
Zf
Number and position of correctors
Table with a curve of deviations
Signature of Adjuster
Poles beneath the compass position
 Coefficient J
It is the mathematical representation
of deviations heeled 1degree to port
and 1degree to starboard

Definition
It is the difference in deviation between that
when the ship is upright and that when the
ship is heeled on the same course.
 1st cause
SHIPS PERMANENT VERTICAL FIELD

BLUE UP - HIGH SIDED H.E.

 1st cause - SHIPS PERMANENT
VERTICAL FIELD

Maximum on North & South course

Nil on East & West
Semicircular
Similar to Coef C
Not affected by latitude
 2nd cause
INDUCED VERTICAL SOFT-IRON

BLUEUP - HIGH SIDED H.E.

2nd cause - INDUCED VERTICAL
SOFT-IRON

Maximum on North & South course

Nil on East & West
Semicircular
Similar to Coef C
Changes with latitude and magnetic
hemisphere
3rd cause VERTICALLY INDUCED
HORIZONTAL ATHWARTSHIPS SOFT
IRON

NORTHERN HEMISPHERE
HIGH SIDED H.E.
 3rd cause

COMPENSATION WITH
SOFT-IRON SPHERES
 4th cause
INDUCED F&A HORIZONTAL SOFT-
IRON
TERMINATING BELOW COMPASS
N
 4th cause
INDUCED F&A SOFT-IRON
TERMINATING BELOW COMPASS

HEADING NORTH

NORTHERN HEMISPHERE
LOW SIDED H.E.
 HEADING EAST/WEST
ERROR = NIL

TERMINATING MATERIAL BELOW COMPASS

Heeling Error
Correction
 Hf & Zf RATIOs

= 28 = 0.8 SHORE
SHIP
35
Hf = 28 Hf = 35

Zf
Zf
SPHERES CAUSE INCREASE IN
DIRECTIVE FORCE

WEST
 N
NW NE

W E

SE
SW S
 Hf & Zf RATIOs with the Spheres in place

=
2 30 = 0.85 SHORE
SHIP
35
Hf = 30 Hf = 35

Zf
Zf

2 = Ships multiplier
 Hf & Zf RATIOs

SHIP SHORE

Hf = 30 Hf = 35

Zf = 35
Zf REDUCED
TO 30

H.E. corrector RED up.

 Vertical Force Instrument (VFI)
Graduations
Spirit Level

Weight

Pivot
Magnetic Needle
Vertical Force Instrument (VFI)
 V.F.I.
Level and heading N S (magnetic)
 V.F.I.
Level the needle by sliding the weight

d
 V.F.I.
Head the vessel E/W (mag). This eliminates the 4th cause of HE
Remove the compass bowl
Multiply shore reading by 2 and set the weight to this position
on the needle
Place the VFI in N/S plane where the compass bowl would sit
Position the corrector bucket,
with corrector magnets
installed, at the approximate
position.
Mid. Lat = Mid height
Adjust the height of the
bucket with the chain until
the needle is horizontal
Heeling Error is now
corrected for that latitude