By definition a compass is a device used to “determine geographic direction, usually consisting of a magnetic needle or needles horizontally mounted or suspended and free to pivot until aligned with the magnetic field of earth.”
You don’t fully comprehend the value of a compass until you need one. And, you’d better know how to “use” a compass if the need arises. Our sailboat has a compass. It’s permanently attached to the wheel pedestal in the cockpit.
As you might expect, sailors encounter all sorts of weather. Too much wind, not enough wind, torrential rain, blazing hot sun. The worst is fog. Especially if you are sailing or even motoring your sailboat in the shipping channel on the St. Lawrence River or Lake Ontario.
I remember sailing on the lake when thick fog rolled in and enveloped our boat. You couldn’t see anything. We knew we had to get out of the shipping channel right away. While we had lost our ability to see, our sense of hearing had been heightened. And we “heard” what sounded like a freighter moving along.
We grabbed the chart and used our compass to navigate our way out of the channel. Safely out of the way, we glanced back and saw a huge ship come into view. That ship had been bearing down on us…..in the fog.
That’s when we fully realized the value of a compass and were really glad we knew how to use it.
- Anne Richter
