No other invention has redefined navigation so well as the compass. A must-have on any journey, a compass was the mainstay of travelers on foot and on sea. With an elegant, compact design, compasses nowadays are eclipsed by GPS, but still remain decorative and functional.
Dozens of abilities inherent to the nautical compass can be used in a multitude of ways. A nautical compass can calculate heading, calculate longitude, and with the use of a sextant, can be used to provide latitude. A nautical compass is not only built to last with salt and rust resistant metal, but is highly functional.
I Have A Nautical Compass On My DeskThe compass was invented, but not widely used, in ancient China around 240 B.C. A water base was the compass' original form, but slowly evolved to a dry compass, and later the modern day liquid magnetic compass. This technology was adapted for sea voyages, and was spread through the use of the Silk Road. However, further discoveries suggest the Olmec culture of South America used magnetic lodestones as a makeshift compass. A land based compass retains half of the endurance and longevity a nautical compass has.
How To Survive With A Nautical CompassWhile on journeys as distantly westward as to the African coast, nautical compasses were used, but were frequently thrown off or broken. Chinese compasses of this make employed magnetic lodestone needles suspended in water. The nautical compass was no different from other sea instruments in that it would only see a significant boost of popularity starting in the 1300's. A sure fire way to discover if a nautical compass is genuine is to look for names engraved on the inside shell or on the back, as navigators would have these carved in to remind them of home on a long voyage.
Bronze was the metal most often used in making old world nautical compasses, but today stainless steel is the common standard. Contrary to the cold gleam of steel, bronze or bronze-plated compasses retain a rustic allure. The standard captain's compass before the modern liquid compass was perfected was a dry compass suspended in a glass ball by gimbal. A dry compass outstrips both its water and liquid cousins in the aesthetics department- being both elegant and shapely. The aesthetic beauty of a dry compass can also be complimented by the stand one chooses for it.
It's A Nautical Compass, Believe It Or NotNautical compasses of today are usually set by the helm for easy accessibility. These are mostly decorative, but if the GPS systems ever fail, compasses are a must have. Many people underestimate the power of the compass itself, but when used alongside a sextant, the compass' capabilities truly shine. A compass' abilities are only compromised during a magnetic anomaly, which is rare, and as such are hardly ever faulty. Dependability is paramount and expected in each nautical compass, as they were built to withstand the hardships of the sea.
Very little cleaning or oiling is required of a nautical compass, and they maintain themselves well. To highlight the compass' beauty, dusting and polishing is recommended. Annual buffing of a silver plated or silver compass is required, and monthly buffing is recommended.
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