This month we asked our panel of experts to take a look at ten hand-held compasses. The compasses varied in style, type, and cost. Some came with strings attached, others with bulkhead clips. Some were electronic, others magnetic. In the reviews, our experts were asked to independently comment on each compass and rate them according to which they felt would give them the best results in their boating situation. Our experts ranged from small to large boat powerboaters and sailors, one of whom had sailed around the world in two and half years. It was instructive to get their different viewpoints.

I have noted in my own sailing that hand bearing compasses usually do not agree with the carefully compensated ship's compass. Therefore we checked the accuracy of each compass and found that the variation on one sight was up to 8 degrees between compasses. Interestingly, Chris Bouzaid felt that a hand bearing compass doesn't need to agree with the ship's compass. As he explained it, "You are only taking bearings with it and those bearings are gone once the boat has gone past that point. As long as each bearing is taken with the same compass, who cares if it's a degree or two off."

The Review Panel

Chris Bouzaid

Chris is well known in the sailing world as a racing sailor, as former president of Hood Sailmakers USA, and as a cruising sailor. Chris recently returned from a two and half year trip around the world in his Little Harbor 50.

Rick Lavoie

Rick is a mathematician and J24 sailor. He is also a jogger and kayaker, so his comments were from the viewpoint of a small boat sailor.

Nick Roach

Nick has owned a sportfishing boat and has fished extensively along the east coast. He has since retired from active fishing due the demands of his business.

Jeff McDonough

Editor of our local newspaper and a J24 sailor, Jeff brings the journalist's skepticism to our analysis.

Steve Baker

Designer Steve Baker worked on Coyote and Duracell and takes a more cerebral approach to hand-held compasses.

The Compasses

The hand-held compasses we reviewed were selected in an effort to cover the spectrum of the various types available. Pricewise the ones we rated vary from the $32 Davis Marine compass to the $445 Datascope. The more expensive compasses generally incorporated more features, which makes them of more value.

The Suunto KB-14

This was one of the smallest compasses we reviewed and one of the most interesting. The body is machined from a solid block of alloy and comes with a brass ring to which the lanyard is attached. Brass, alloy, and seawater don't go together well over the long term, and I asked Bob Congdon, national marketing manager of Suunto, USA about it. He said they haven't had any problems with corrosion. He also said that this compass is rugged, and apparently it is. To get it to us, he put it in a Fedex overnight letter without any bubblewrap or other protection that many of the other compasses arrived in.

The Suunto KB-14 measures 2"W x 3"L x .6"D (50 mm x 75 mm x 15 mm), with a 1.4" (35mm) compass dial. The weight is about 2 ounces. When we discussed reviewing it, Bob said that they didn't sell many of these compasses to sailors. They sold far more to surveyors who were interested in the compass's quarter of a degree of accuracy. That is why this compass has a screw hole in the back to mount it on a tripod.

To use the compass, the viewer sights through a 0.4" (10mm) eyehole where the edge of the compass bezel is visible. A lubber line is also visible in the aperture, and by careful tilting of the compass you can deceive your eye into projecting the lubber line above the compass to view the object on which you are taking a bearing. I would expect this compass to be fairly difficult to use on a boat because of the precision required to get the angle just right for an accurate shot. In general it was the construction that made this one a favorite rather than its ease of use. Nick Roach rated this one fairly low because it was simply too small to be seen quickly and easily on a powerboat. He also dismissed the Sight Master and the Gutman Cutlery compass for the same reason.

Cost: $ From Suunto

The Suunto Sight Master Compass

Bob Congdon didn't know that we reviewed this Suunto compass as well. We got it from the Armchair Sailor Bookstore in Newport. It is not as rugged as the alloy unit, but it looks as if it uses the same compass dial. This compass also has a small lens above the dial which makes taking sights easier. One of our Reviewers thought that if that lens were part of the Suunto KB-14 compass the alloy compass would be much more useful on a boat.

Price: $99 from the Armchair Sailor

The KVH Datascope

This digital compass/range finder was the most expensive and fascinating of our test units. It uses a fluxgate compass and is designed for single-handed use. It measures 5.5" L x 3.5"H x 2"W (140 mm x 89 mm x 50 mm), with a weight of 11.5 ounces. The single eyepeice has a 5 x 30 roof prism monocular with rubber eye cups and a neck cord. If you want, you can use the unit as a monocular without using the functions. The unit is guaranteed totally waterproof. To use it , simply aim it at the object and press one of the three buttons on the top. This records the bearing. Up to nine bearings can be recorded at any one time. This is not an instrument you can simply pick up and use, however. You have to read the instruction book to get the most from the Datascope.

In addition to taking a bearing, the Datascope compass can be used as a rangefinder. It works on simple triangulation, in that if the height of the object being viewed is known, the Datascope can tell you how far away it is. Plus there is a precision quartz crystal chronometer which records the time at which every bearing is taken. The chronometer and the compass can compute the difference between consecutive bearings if required. The Datascope operates on 3 duracell DL2025 3V lithium batteries, or equivalent.

Two of our reviewers thought the Datascope was too complex for their needs. Nick Roach listed it last in his selections because he thought it would be too difficult to steer and put it to your eye on a bouncing powerboat. He felt it was a complicated way to do a simple job. Jeff McDonough, in contrast, liked the Datascope best, but confessed that he had used it before. The reviewers that came to the Datascope cold, appeared to prefer an easier to use compass.

Price: $445 from KVH

The Davis Instruments Hand Bearing Compass

To me this compass felt the most fragile of all of our test units. It has a plastic handle with two clear plastic sighting wings. I feel sure that if the unit were to be dropped, and things on boats always get dropped, one of the sighting wings would be broken off. The compass measures 6.2" H (157.5mm) of which 4.8" (122mm) is the handle. A neck cord is attached to the bottom of the handle. The clear plastic wings measure 4.25" (108mm) across, while the width is 2.2" (56mm). Unlike the Datascope, which is intended to be held close to the eye, the Davis unit works better when held at arms length. The unit comes in a foam-lined box with a pair of batteries for instant use.

Rick Lavoie had used this Davis compass before on his J24. When it was dropped and one of the plastic wings broke off, he removed the compass from the handle and used a velcro strip to fix it to his kayak. It has worked really well he said, in spite of getting soaked and being banged around often. He added that the compass is really waterproof.

Some of the other reviewers thought that this compass was to light and "plasticky" to be of much use. Steve thought the sharp corners of the handles could cause a problem if you fell while holding the compass, but Nick rated it third among his choices because it could easily be used on a powerboat.

Price: $32 from Celestaire, Inc.

The Altitude Mini 2000 from Celestaire

This is the "hockey puck" compass that I have used to take bearings in many miles of ocean races. This particular version is French made, and comes equipped with excellent instructions in French and a poor English translation, but you get the idea. The worst problem I found with this compass is waiting for the dial to settle down long enough to take a bearing. It is not an instrument for snap bearings. The compass measure 3.2" (81mm) across and 1.2" (30mm) high. The actual dial is tough to read if you are over 40, but there is a small magnifying glass on the right which makes it easier. The compass unit is all clear plastic and is contained inside a rubber tire rather like something the Michelin man might make. Previous units I have used have had a black rubber tire but this one has a yellow tire. There is a radioluminescent tablet in the unit, which can be replaced when its luminescence has died. Unlike the other compasses this one does not have a light.

Note that this compass does not have a lubber line. For me that makes it easier to use, but I got used to the absence of a lubber line over many years of use. Our reviewers thought the lack of line was no problem. Steve liked it, but he also dragged out his ten year old hockey puck with a black tire. Chris Bouzaid had strong comments on this one. He took two with him on his trip around the world and found that the small plastic sighting glass mounted on top of the compass dropped out after it had banged around in the chart table drawer for a while. Nick looked at this compass and instantly decided that the dial and letters were too small for use on a powerboat.

Price: $115 from Celestaire and Pioneer Research

E. S. Ritchie SportAbout compass

E. S. Ritchie bills itself as the world's leading compass manufacturer, and their catalog shows a wide variety of compasses, but frankly, most of our reviewers felt that this compass doesn't live up to the company's reputation. It brought several comments in the vein of toy compass and kiddie compass and other less polite words from the sailors. Jeff McDonough commented that he wouldn't trust his life to this compass, but Nick liked it. He said that it was easy to see, and on a powerboat when you are moving at speed, ease of sighting, a big dial, and the bright color made it number one for him. The method of lighting it didn't bother him at all.

This compass is similar to the hockey puck in general styling, but has a smaller diameter and is slightly taller. It measures 2.5" (63.5mm) in diameter and 1.5" (38mm) high. Lighting on this compass is by inserting a cyalume lightstick into the rubber tire surrounding the compass. Previous experience with similar size lightsticks suggest that they will give about 5 to 6 hours of use. But you can preserve their luminescence by putting them in the freezer which slows the chemical reaction.

Sights are taken by lining up a vee groove in the top of the compass with a small — about 1/8" (2mm) high — lubber line molded into the front of the compass. Unfortunately, the vee notch can easily be moved out of line.

This compass took a long time to settle down when used. Some of the reviewers felt that it would not be that useful on a boat that is bouncing through waves although Nick thought the opposite.

Price: $40 from E. S. Ritchie & Sons, Inc.

The Silva Marine 70 Une Compass

Made in Sweden, this compass is one of the few with a complete globe for the compass to revolve in, making it useable at any angle. Many of the other compasses were rather flat, and if the compass was tipped the card would usually bind against the mounting. Not so with this one. It looks almost like a large lollipop, but it is this feature that makes is easy to hold and to use. The diameter of the globe is about 3.5" (90mm) and overall, including handle, it is 7" (178mm). The slope of the handle is just right to enable you to hold the compass and sight down the lubber line but you must tilt the compass slightly to see the dial and the lubber line. The handle also holds the batteries for the compass light. To turn the light on you must press the button at the bottom of the handle. Although this solution is not ergonomically efficient, it does prevent water from getting into the battery box and switch.

This compass comes with a clip to enable the unit to be mounted on a bulkhead. This feature endeared it to Nick who was looking for a large dial, easy to read compass. Interestingly, another powerboater who looked at the compasses later but did not rate them, selected this one as the ideal compass for use on his boat. Almost all the reviewers thought that this one could be used as an emergency compass if desired, but as a hand bearing unit the sailors disliked it. When you held it up to take a sight the compass dial was hard to see. If you tilted it to see the dial, you had difficulty lining up the lubber lines.

Price: $ From Silva Marine

The Autohelm Personal Compass

Virtually all the sailors liked this electronic fluxgate compass. Chris Bouzaid had the strongest opinion. He said, "I had one with me all the way around the world. It hung in the companionway, got wet, got banged around, and for two and half years worked perfectly. I never read the instructions. I simply picked it up, shot off two or three bearings of a position, aimed at another position, shot three bearings, aimed at a third position, and shot three bearings. Then I went below, averaged the three bearings for each position and plotted them. And I'm still here and so's the boat!" He added, "I can't remember three or four bearings at a time. Not many people can, so the memory feature is a godsend. This is the best compass I have ever used."

Jeff McDonough also liked it, but not as much as the Datascope. Jeff felt that if he could not afford the Datascope this would be the compass he would get. All the sailors praised its ease of use and memory feature. Rick, who normally sails his J24, also thought the Autohelm was the easiest and best compass on the bunch. The lone dissenter was Nick Roach who rated it fourth because the other compasses were so much more useful for his type of boating.

Price: $175 from Autohelm

Easy Nav

We found this compass at the Armchair Sailor. It is a fluxgate compass imported from England and has some fairly unique features. It is big — the largest of all the hand-helds we reviewed — but that makes it easier to use in some ways. It measures 3.7" (94mm)W x 8" (203mm) H x 1.3" (33mm) thick.

To take a sight, you look over the top of the unit through two sights located on the top of a 1.5" (37mm) diameter rotatable fluxgate sensor. We weren't quite sure why the sensor needed to move, but assumed that if the compass were fixed in its mounting the top could be turned to take a sight. As soon as the object is lined up, you press the big yellow button in the middle of the unit and it memorizes the sight and beeps to let you know. An additional feature is the off-course arrow, which indicates the number of degrees off course you are sailing once you set a course. The reading comes up on the 2.75" (70mm) x 1.75" (45mm) LCD screen in the middle of the compass. Four additional buttons serve to address the memory in and out, the light, and the time features. A little disconcerting was the system used to turn the unit off. You have to hold the shoot button down for five seconds.

The handle of this compass serves as a battery holder. Battery removal and replacement is accomplished by twisting the handle one quarter turn to remove it. Replacing the handle automatically turns on the compass. Most of our reviewers liked this compass. Chris Bouzaid pointed out that it would make an ideal emergency backup compass, especially as it comes with a sailboat or powerboat mount.

Price: $395 from the Armchair Sailor

Gutman Cutlery Compass

Our last compass was also off the Armchair Sailor's shelf. It was a small teardrop shaped compass imported by Gutman Cutlery from Germany, only 2" (50mm) x 2.9" (75mm), with a 1.65" (42mm) diameter dial. Made of black plastic with sights over the top and a tiny .25" (6mm) viewing hole, this compass was very similar to the Suunto units, but as Steve put it, a little more delicate. Rick thought this one was very hard to read, while Jeff McDonough thought it simple and easy. For Nick this compass wasn't even considered — too small and hard to read he said.

Price: $78.95 from the Armchair Sailor

From our testing it would appear that certain criteria must be met before a sailor or powerboater will buy a hand bearing compass.

1. It must be easy to use. Sighting through tiny apertures or tilting the compass just the right amount was not acceptable.

2. It must be rugged. The better the unit withstood shocks, the more the reviewers liked it.

3. It must be easy to read. Nick liked the big dial compasses, and everyone liked the large figures on the Easy Nav.

4. Its accuracy should be good, but it doesn't need to be perfect. Perfect accuracy isn't essential, but being able to repeat the sights with the same accuracy is important.

5. If the compass can be used as an emergency main compass that was a significant plus.

6. Price is a factor, but if a better compass is a few dollars more the sailors felt that they would pay it. I detected a significant price resistance to the $445 Data Scope and the $375 Easy Nav among our reviewers, but they would pay $175 for the Autohelm unit.

In finishing, it would appear that a hand-held compass is important on a boat. A manufacturer who is thinking about selling a new hand-held compass had better know the niche where his compass will fit very carefully before commiting to a large investment.

Here is how our reviewers rated the compasses we reviewed.

Steve Baker

1. Autohelm
2. Suunto KB-14
3. Suunto Sight Master/Mini 2000 tied
5. KVH Datascope
6. Easy Nav
7. Gutman compass
8. Davis Marine
9. Silva Une 70
10. Ritchie Sportabout

Chris Bouzaid

1.. Autohelm
2. Easy Nav
3. KVH Datascope
4. Suunto KB-14
5. Suunto Sight Master
6. Gutman compass
7. Mini 2000
8. Davis Marine
9. Ritchie Sportabout
10. Silva 70 Une

Rick Lavoie

1. Autohelm
2. Easy Nav
3. KVH Datascope
4. Suunto KB-14
5. Suunto Sight Master
6. Gutman
7. Mini 2000
8. Ritchie Sportabout
9. Davis Marine
10. Silva 70 Une

Jeff McDonough

1. KVH Datascope
2. Autohelm
3. Mini 2000/Suunto KB-14/Suunto Sight Master/ Gutman
7. Easy Nav
8. Davis Marine
9. Silva 70 Une
10 Ritchie Sportabout

Nick Roach

1. Ritchie Sportabout
2. Silva 70 Une
3. Davis Marine
4. Autohelm
5. Mini 2000
6. Suunto Sight Master
7. Suunto KB-14
8. Gutman

9. Easy Nav
10 KVH Datascope