# fluid in compass



## dorourke (Aug 11, 2006)

I have two compasses on my boat (port and starbord). The fluid in them both turned to a dingey and cloudy amber color. What do I do to clean them and what do I use to re-fill them? I don't know the brand. They go to an S2 as origional hardware in "82".


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## TrueBlue (Oct 11, 2004)

Fluid filled compasses are normally refilled with mineral oil, available off the shelf from your local pharmacy. Empty the old oil and refill through the threaded brass plugged fill-hole, located under the base on most Richie models.


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

I would contact the compass manufacturer as different compass makers used different fluids...and using the wrong fluid in yours can cause problems... like attacking the materials the compass is made of... If you can't contact the manufacturer, it might be worthwhile to contact a professional compass adjuster/repairperson.


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## Tartan34C (Nov 21, 2006)

The first fluid-filled compasses starting around 1860 were filled with an alcohol and water mixture. Compass oil was not commonly used until the 1940's and a pint of oil is only about 8 dollars from Ritchie. Danforth (AquaMeter) uses Exxon Isopar-M as the oil and Ritchie uses Isopar-L, a lower viscosity oil (older models with no label on the bottom use odorless mineral spirits). You can’t use them interchangeable. You can use Ritchie fluid in a Danforth but not the other way around. Some compasses still use a water-alcohol mix using about 45% Ethyl. You can tell by smelling or rubbing the fluid between your fingers if its oil based.

Unless you can draw a vacuum put the compass in a refrigerator overnight before refilling it. Otherwise, you will always have a small bubble after resealing the compass.

Keep in mind it will need some sort of repair first, the oil doesn’t just evaporate.. Danfoth will not sell parts and they own the AquaMeter brand now. Ritchie will sell the parts and a new diaphragm is as little as 12 dollars (list price) for a small Ritchie compass. Most compass repair shops will sell Danforth parts if you want to try repairing it. 
All the best,
Robert Gainer


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

Tartan34C said:


> Some compasses still use a water-alcohol mix using about 45% Ethyl. You can tell by smelling or rubbing the fluid between your fingers


Will Baccardi work?


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## Tartan34C (Nov 21, 2006)

CapnHand said:


> Will Baccardi work?


Baccardi and coke works for me but what will we do for the compass?
All the best,
Robert Gainer


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## Valiente (Jun 16, 2006)

The new boat came with a Ritchie Globemaster with compensators the size of horse balls. I've informally swung the boat (it's steel) and it's pretty good on the deviation, according to both the GPS and the fluxgate also at hand. Frankly, I find it a bit intimidating, probably because it's the size of a man's head and the P.O. told me to continue the custom of leaving an old wool balaclava on it to keep the sun off the fluid. Now I throw a hat on top of that, and if you board on a dark night, the effect is a little odd.

Anyone know of a small bulkhead or binnacle compass I could use on deck at the "outside" steering station suitable for a steel boat, or should I just get a repeater display for the fluxgate?


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## erps (Aug 2, 2006)

I had a compass diaphram fail a few years back. The manufacturer wanted me to send the compass in to repair it, saying I'd never get it topped off with new mineral spirits after replacing the diaphram so there wouldn't be a bubble. They said if I was going to try it, to freeze it and the mineral spirits over night before trying it. I came up with a much easier solution.

I taped a piece of thread to the diaphram. As I filled the compass with mineral spirits, I pulled on the tread, which pulled the diaphram out so I could put more fluid in. While I was putting in the cap, I released the thread slightly so the fluid would start flowing back out the fill hole while I tightened the cap down. The result was no bubbles and a very simple way to get around on those vacuum and freezing procedures.


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Valiente said:


> The new boat came with a Ritchie Globemaster with compensators the size of horse balls. I've informally swung the boat (it's steel) and it's pretty good on the deviation, according to both the GPS and the fluxgate also at hand. Frankly, I find it a bit intimidating, probably because it's the size of a man's head and the P.O. told me to continue the custom of leaving an old wool balaclava on it to keep the sun off the fluid. Now I throw a hat on top of that, and if you board on a dark night, the effect is a little odd.
> 
> Anyone know of a small bulkhead or binnacle compass I could use on deck at the "outside" steering station suitable for a steel boat, or should I just get a repeater display for the fluxgate?


While a repeater for the fluxgate is a nice idea, I think having a compass that is not electrically dependent at the helm is a better idea... However, on a steel boat, getting one that will work and can be adjusted for the boat is a problem.


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## sailortjk1 (Dec 20, 2005)

On a different note:

Has anybody else noticed the interfenece a cell phone can cause?

While cruising with another boat, my buddy kept on telling me the course he was steering, I told him he was crazy and that we was off by about 15 degrees.

After reaching port, we figured out it was his cell phone which was on his pedastal right next to the compass that was causing the problem.


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## Freesail99 (Feb 13, 2006)

The needle came off my compass, fix myself or send it out ?


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## camaraderie (May 22, 2002)

FreeS....how old and what type & size of compass? Unless it is a very good compass, you may find sending it out is cost prohibitive. Third alternative is fix yourself and when that doesn't work, buy a new one for less than sending it to be fixed <g>.


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## dorourke (Aug 11, 2006)

A gentileman at the marina told me yesterday the compassas on my boat are Ritchie's so Ritchie fluid will work. I will need to clean them out by swirling de-natured alchohal in them at least a couple of times. I got lots of feed back and now know what to do. BTW, Bacardie has always confused my own bearings and have since forsaken the practice. ;}


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Ummm. Most compasses I've seen don't use a "needle". What kind of compass is it? Most use a floating disc...


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## Tartan34C (Nov 21, 2006)

Sailingdog,
On some compasses under the card on both sides of the pivot is a rod or group of rods that you can describe as a large needle. That’s the part that is magnetic and I understood from his post that was the part that fell off. 

Freesail99,
A compass card is balanced for the zone it is used in. Different parts of the world have more or less dip to the magnetic field and the card needs to be balanced to match the zone. For instance if you are at the north magnetic pole the compass wants to point straight down and if you are at the equator the compass point horizontally to the magnetic pole. A compass balanced for a given zone will work well in one zone above and one below the zone it was balanced for. A compass balanced for a zone in the southern hemisphere will not work well in the northern hemisphere for this reason and world travelers need to select the zone for the compass so it will work for the entire trip.

If the needle(s) fell off I would be careful about balance but you can fix it yourself if you are careful.
All the best,
Robert Gainer


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## Freesail99 (Feb 13, 2006)

My compass is 30 years old. It is very large, which I like. I don't have the size as I am not at the boat. I learned to sail using a compass. If I had to guess at it's size I put it around 8 inches dia. I'll see if I can get a quote on a repair and compair that against a new compass. Thanks for the info, everyone.


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## camaraderie (May 22, 2002)

Freesail...sounds like you might have one of the really good ones! Absolutely worth looking into repair on a compass of that size and age. Try this guy...he is fantastic and reasonable relative to the value of a really good old compass. 
http://www.islandcompass.com/

He also has used rebuilt ones on his site in case the repair is just too expensive. I mailed my C.Plath/Venus compass to him last year with a leaking bladder and it came back within a week completely fixed and looking like new.


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## Valiente (Jun 16, 2006)

sailingdog said:


> While a repeater for the fluxgate is a nice idea, I think having a compass that is not electrically dependent at the helm is a better idea... However, on a steel boat, getting one that will work and can be adjusted for the boat is a problem.


Yes. Hence the question. The outside sailing station is a modest 24 inch wheel on a 30 inch binnacle in a 18-inch deep footwell. It's strictly a fairweather perch, and yet we'll spend a lot of time out there steering with our toes. Irrespective of the cost, a duplicate Globemaster would look ridiculous out there. So does anyone know of a stock small (5 inch globe or less) compass I could mount that can be compensated for steel? I could tolerate some inaccuracy, as it's merely a backup to the very accurate and properly swung Globemaster in the pilothouse.

I may consider an "overhead" aviation style compass for the aluminum bimini frame. At least that would be six feet above the deck.


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## Valiente (Jun 16, 2006)

sailortjk1 said:


> On a different note:
> 
> Has anybody else noticed the interfenece a cell phone can cause?
> 
> ...


I have to be careful with the Globemaster when I put down flashlights or VHFs within three feet or so...it swings 5 degrees at dock, and who knows how much underway.

I suspect it's the "vibe" feature in some phones...it's likely a very small electromagnetic motor that makes the buzz.


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Valiente said:


> I have to be careful with the Globemaster when I put down flashlights or VHFs within three feet or so...it swings 5 degrees at dock, and who knows how much underway.
> 
> I suspect it's the "vibe" feature in some phones...it's likely a very small electromagnetic motor that makes the buzz.


The electromagnetic part of the motor isn't the issue, unless it is actually vibrating... the permanent magnets used in the speaker and buzzer are more likely the problem. The small rare-earth magnets used in some of the speakers are very powerful given their very small size.


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## Valiente (Jun 16, 2006)

sailingdog said:


> The electromagnetic part of the motor isn't the issue, unless it is actually vibrating... the permanent magnets used in the speaker and buzzer are more likely the problem. The small rare-earth magnets used in some of the speakers are very powerful given their very small size.


That reminds me: I've bought several "shake 'n' light" LED flashlights for the boat, and I have to keep them three feet away from the compass. You are correct in that they are surprisingly powerful. Luckily, the square root of the distance rule works here and frequently they just have to be kept lashed to the bulkhead for emergency use.


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## Rontoo (Jun 5, 2006)

*PC is a p in the a*



sailingdog said:


> I would contact the compass manufacturer as different compass makers used different fluids...and using the wrong fluid in yours can cause problems... like attacking the materials the compass is made of... If you can't contact the manufacturer, it might be worthwhile to contact a professional compass adjuster/repairperson.


Why, oh, why, write "compass adjuster/repairperson"  ?
There's no such word as repairperson  
You won't find it in any dictionary - not even a US one! 
If compass adjuster is acceptable, what's wrong with repairer?
PC - has to be the bane of the 21st century!
I know - I'm being picky - but I always scratch my itches!


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## emichael (May 5, 2005)

*cell phone/compass problem*

The problem quite probably originated with the battery for the cell phone. Anything with a battery in it should be kept away from magnetic compasses.


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## Idiens (Jan 9, 2007)

Rontoo said:


> I know - I'm being picky - but I always scratch my itches!


Rontoo - you just hop over to the Fight Club thread and have some fun. This one's all out of compass fluid, - some one mentioned alcohol and the others drunk it.


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

*cloudy compass*

The Aqua Meter Gemini compass on my 1984 Catalina (probably original equipment and never touched) had a huge bubble and was so green and cloudy you couldn't read in in bright sun light. I sent it to Viking Instruments, see vikingcompass.com. It came back looking like a new compass. I'm very pleased.


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

emichael-

Batteries aren't a problem near a compass, provided they're not being used. A battery just sitting there unused has no magnetic field to it.


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

*Compass Oil*

Hi Dorouke,

I noticed your post for a year or two ago. I have an S2 from 1986 and I have similar issues with my compass oil. It's amber and cloudy. How did you finally resolve your problem. Any help would greatly be appreciated.


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## dacap06 (Feb 2, 2008)

*Change the Compass Oil*

Crescentsail,

If your compass is small (e.g. 3") you may simply want to replace it since smaller compasses are not that expensive and repairing compasses yourself is aggravating. But if it is larger (and therefore more expensive) and it only suffers from cloudy oil, you may be able to drain and change it. Your compass may have a plug in the bottom you can remove to drain and refill it. The trick is making sure to use the right liquid. The problem is that without knowing the manufacturer, it's hard to tell what the right liquid is, and you didn't say who made it.

In the old days, magnetic compasses used to be called Whiskey Compasses because the fluid was high-proof alcohol. If you think your compass fluid is lighter weight stuff like alcohol instead of the heavier light oil, then my experience applies.

When I bought my '84 Islander last year the compass (a 5" Danforth Constellation) had a badly scratched dome, cloudy oil, and a huge bubble. The Danforth has a port where you can add compass oil, so over the Winter I took mine apart, cleaned everything, put on a new dome and o-ring, and then filled it with new compass oil. It took a couple of tries to get it sealed so it didn't develop another bubble, but it looks great now.

Some folks advocate filling a whiskey compass with Mineral spirits instead of an alcohol-based compass oil because it is so much cheaper. While the viscosity is similar, mineral spirits will eventually darken and become cloudy due to interaction with parts inside the compass and sunlight.

I ended up filling my Danforth with Ritchie compass oil. So far, so good!

Good luck with your project.


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## nereussailor (Nov 3, 2007)

Camaraderie posted a couple of years ago to give Island Compass South a shout. Don't Do It!!! It has changed hands and the new owner, his nephew doesn't care about the business like he did. My compass took a month and a half to get fixed, and it came back broken. We're still trying to get it fixed get the whole nightmare over with. I'd get a hold of Viking compass and talk with them. They were a little more expensive, but it would have been worth it.

Weather Instruments, Weather Stations,Compasses, Binoculars, Telescopes

Dave


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