Compasses: Winners, Losers Abound

Ritchie, Danforth, and Plastimo, all fared well in our test, but each also had a loser—so choosing compasses carefully is warranted.

The field of 16 compasses that made up PS's test include: (top row, left to right) Danforth C561, Brunton 150, Ritchie FB500, Plastimo Olympic 135; (second row from top) Danforth C402, C. Plath Merkur SE, Plastimo Offshore 135, Ritchie FN201; (third row from top) Danforth C399-3, Ritchie SS-1002, Ritchie FN203, Ritchie SS2000W; and (bottom row) Ritchie HF742W, Plastimo Offshore 105, Plastimo Offshore 90, and Plastimo Olympic 100.

In the age of GPS, DGPS, WAAS GPS and handheld GPS systems, how important is the magnetic steering compass? Just ask anyone who has been disoriented at night, turned around in the fog, or been on the receiving end of an electrical storm. Magnetic compasses are installed at almost every helm for a reason—to provide a reliable heading by which to navigate, independent of all the other on-board systems. When referenced against today's technologies, the heading from a magnetic steering compass is a silent backup that carries a significant amount of clout. …