I am very new to this kayak sport and I have noticed that many
kayakers add compasses to their kayak.....is this an over
kill....where does one expect to go where they would need a
compass.....Don't get me wrong, I love the whole thing because I just
bought a CapeHorn 170 and mounted a Richie compass on it and it looks
really nice.....I just hope I don't get razzled on it...Jim

Nope, not overkill if you venture far from shore or in degraded visual
conditions.

"James F. Aguiar" wrote in message
...
I am very new to this kayak sport and I have noticed that many
kayakers add compasses to their kayak.....is this an over
kill....where does one expect to go where they would need a
compass.....Don't get me wrong, I love the whole thing because I just
bought a CapeHorn 170 and mounted a Richie compass on it and it looks
really nice.....I just hope I don't get razzled on it...Jim

If you live in Massachusetts, it may soon be the law that you have to have
one.

A compass and chart can save your life if you get fogged in, or are making a
crossing to someplace that you can't see. They're two of the most important
things you can have.

Personally, when paddling in fog, or someplace new, I have a chart, compass
and GPS with me. It's saved my sorry butt on more than one occasion when fog
rolled in unexpectedly.

Wayne


"James F. Aguiar" wrote in message
...
I am very new to this kayak sport and I have noticed that many
kayakers add compasses to their kayak.....is this an over
kill....where does one expect to go where they would need a
compass.....Don't get me wrong, I love the whole thing because I just
bought a CapeHorn 170 and mounted a Richie compass on it and it looks
really nice.....I just hope I don't get razzled on it...Jim

in article , Wayne Smith at
wrote on 10/25/04 7:36 PM:

If you live in Massachusetts, it may soon be the law that you have to have
one.

A compass and chart can save your life if you get fogged in, or are making a
crossing to someplace that you can't see. They're two of the most important
things you can have.

Personally, when paddling in fog, or someplace new, I have a chart, compass
and GPS with me. It's saved my sorry butt on more than one occasion when fog
rolled in unexpectedly.

Wayne

Yeah, and what the hell, people have become lost wandering through marshes
with small channels full of twists and turns. And you can use it to set a
course. And it is kind of interesting to know what direction you are heading
in!


"James F. Aguiar" wrote in message
...
I am very new to this kayak sport and I have noticed that many
kayakers add compasses to their kayak.....is this an over
kill....where does one expect to go where they would need a
compass.....Don't get me wrong, I love the whole thing because I just
bought a CapeHorn 170 and mounted a Richie compass on it and it looks
really nice.....I just hope I don't get razzled on it...Jim

On 25-Oct-2004, (James F. Aguiar) wrote:

where does one expect to go where they would need a
compass.

Anywhere there's lots of islands for one. If you're paddling
among a lot of islands, they all start to look the same after
a while. A compass and chart will allow you to figure out
which island is which.

You don't need fog to get lost in a crossing either. If your
destination is indistinct for any reason, a compass and chart
will help you sort things out when you get across. A shoreline
with lots of coves and bays looks like one solid line of trees
from a distance.

I only ignore the compass when paddling in very familiar waters.

Mike

"Michael Daly" wrote in message ...
On 25-Oct-2004, (James F. Aguiar) wrote:

where does one expect to go where they would need a
compass.

Anywhere there's lots of islands for one. If you're paddling
among a lot of islands, they all start to look the same after
a while. A compass and chart will allow you to figure out
which island is which.

You don't need fog to get lost in a crossing either. If your
destination is indistinct for any reason, a compass and chart
will help you sort things out when you get across. A shoreline
with lots of coves and bays looks like one solid line of trees
from a distance.

I only ignore the compass when paddling in very familiar waters.

Mike

Thanks for all the replies....I am new to kayaking but I have owned a
couple of boats, one being a 23 foot sail boat. I learned that a
compass is a valuable asset when out on the water. I am surprized to
hear that so many people are taking on the open waters in kayaks. I
live on the south coast of Ma. and it seems as though paddleing a
kayay out to CuttyHunk Island and then out through the one of the
passages between the Elizebeth Islands into Vineyard Sound is a
typical day of kayaking. That is dangerous waters in a 23 foot sail
boat never mind a kayak.
I recently purchased a WildernessSystems CapeHorn 170. It has a large
4 1/4" circular place on the forward deck for a compass. I chose the
Richie Voyager that fills that spot nicely, however it looks a bit
like an over kill to see such a large compass on a kayak,but at 64
years of age I can see the dial easily without glasses.....Anyway, as
of now I don't have any intentions of going out into Buzzards Bay.
I think the GPS is perhaps one of the best devices available,
especially one with a bluechart such as the Garmin.
Anyway, with a little luck I may be able to survive next summer
kayaking. Jim

GPS is great - take a chart and of course you now have the compass- GPS
batteries always fail when you need them the most. Stupid Mr. Murphy and his
darn law.

"James F. Aguiar" wrote in message
om...
"Michael Daly" wrote in message
...
On 25-Oct-2004, (James F. Aguiar) wrote:

where does one expect to go where they would need a
compass.

Anywhere there's lots of islands for one. If you're paddling
among a lot of islands, they all start to look the same after
a while. A compass and chart will allow you to figure out
which island is which.

You don't need fog to get lost in a crossing either. If your
destination is indistinct for any reason, a compass and chart
will help you sort things out when you get across. A shoreline
with lots of coves and bays looks like one solid line of trees
from a distance.

I only ignore the compass when paddling in very familiar waters.

Mike

Thanks for all the replies....I am new to kayaking but I have owned a
couple of boats, one being a 23 foot sail boat. I learned that a
compass is a valuable asset when out on the water. I am surprized to
hear that so many people are taking on the open waters in kayaks. I
live on the south coast of Ma. and it seems as though paddleing a
kayay out to CuttyHunk Island and then out through the one of the
passages between the Elizebeth Islands into Vineyard Sound is a
typical day of kayaking. That is dangerous waters in a 23 foot sail
boat never mind a kayak.
I recently purchased a WildernessSystems CapeHorn 170. It has a large
4 1/4" circular place on the forward deck for a compass. I chose the
Richie Voyager that fills that spot nicely, however it looks a bit
like an over kill to see such a large compass on a kayak,but at 64
years of age I can see the dial easily without glasses.....Anyway, as
of now I don't have any intentions of going out into Buzzards Bay.
I think the GPS is perhaps one of the best devices available,
especially one with a bluechart such as the Garmin.
Anyway, with a little luck I may be able to survive next summer
kayaking. Jim

(James F. Aguiar) wrote in message m...
I am very new to this kayak sport and I have noticed that many
kayakers add compasses to their kayak.....is this an over
kill....where does one expect to go where they would need a
compass.....Don't get me wrong, I love the whole thing because I just
bought a CapeHorn 170 and mounted a Richie compass on it and it looks
really nice.....I just hope I don't get razzled on it...Jim

I always have a compas on deck and one in my OS kit ( OS is short for
Oh Shoot kit
I pick a course and have one very simple bearing committed to memmory,
A safety bearing that will bring me to a shoreline to follow to safety
if I get dissoriented by fog . I choose a linier target if possible
then just follow it one way or the other to a safe take out.
I have been cought out and it is not that scary. Once we just beat a
huge thick fog bank and some wind , Plan B was a 5 KM paddle to
St.John's Harbour. That would have involved the compass and a call to
Harbour Traffic to make sure I was OK in the narrows, ( ships ).
It happens. You will likely never need a compass but when you nead it
you nead it badly and right now. Its no good in your hatch.
Oh Even if you can do the magnetic declination math a compass and
kayak are not an exacting science. A linier safety bearing is a good
idea and follow the coast or surf line till you know where you are and
can find a safe take out.
Kayaks can go places and survive conditions that shock some other
boaters. We are the cock roach of the boating world.
HEE HEE.

James F. Aguiar wrote:

Thanks for all the replies....I am new to kayaking but I have owned a
couple of boats, one being a 23 foot sail boat. I learned that a
compass is a valuable asset when out on the water. I am surprized to
hear that so many people are taking on the open waters in kayaks. I
live on the south coast of Ma. and it seems as though paddleing a
kayay out to CuttyHunk Island and then out through the one of the
passages between the Elizebeth Islands into Vineyard Sound is a
typical day of kayaking. That is dangerous waters in a 23 foot sail
boat never mind a kayak.

In the hands of a skilled paddler, kayaks can handle incredibly rough
water. I wouldn't suggest that you try it until you build your skills
and find some skilled paddling partners. Check out the North Shore
Paddler's Network at www.nspn.org. It's the largest club in the greater
Boston area and it organizes a lot of skill building sessions, both on
the ocean and in pools during the winter. There are quite a few members
on the South Shore and the Cape, so you shouldn't have any problem
finding people to hook up with for trips.

I recently purchased a WildernessSystems CapeHorn 170. It has a large
4 1/4" circular place on the forward deck for a compass. I chose the
Richie Voyager that fills that spot nicely, however it looks a bit
like an over kill to see such a large compass on a kayak,but at 64
years of age I can see the dial easily without glasses.

That's a standard compass for kayaking. You need to be able to see it
with a quick glance in rough conditions, so the bigger the better,
within reason.

.....Anyway, as
of now I don't have any intentions of going out into Buzzards Bay.

Trust me, that will change. Besides, you'd be giving up a lot of good
paddling if you don't venture into the Bay.

I think the GPS is perhaps one of the best devices available,
especially one with a bluechart such as the Garmin.

I have a GPS, but I almost never use it, as I find that it's too "fussy"
when I really need to get info quickly. It can also be difficult to
read, especially when it's wet. A chart and compass is much faster and
more foolproof, IMO.

Anyway, with a little luck I may be able to survive next summer
kayaking.

It's not about luck. As with most endeavors, it's about preparation and
ability.

(Alex McGruer) wrote in message . com...
(James F. Aguiar) wrote in message m...
I am very new to this kayak sport and I have noticed that many
kayakers add compasses to their kayak.....is this an over
kill....where does one expect to go where they would need a
compass.....Don't get me wrong, I love the whole thing because I just
bought a CapeHorn 170 and mounted a Richie compass on it and it looks
really nice.....I just hope I don't get razzled on it...Jim

I always have a compas on deck and one in my OS kit ( OS is short for
Oh Shoot kit
I pick a course and have one very simple bearing committed to memmory,
A safety bearing that will bring me to a shoreline to follow to safety
if I get dissoriented by fog . I choose a linier target if possible
then just follow it one way or the other to a safe take out.
I have been cought out and it is not that scary. Once we just beat a
huge thick fog bank and some wind , Plan B was a 5 KM paddle to
St.John's Harbour. That would have involved the compass and a call to
Harbour Traffic to make sure I was OK in the narrows, ( ships ).
It happens. You will likely never need a compass but when you nead it
you nead it badly and right now. Its no good in your hatch.
Oh Even if you can do the magnetic declination math a compass and
kayak are not an exacting science. A linier safety bearing is a good
idea and follow the coast or surf line till you know where you are and
can find a safe take out.
Kayaks can go places and survive conditions that shock some other
boaters. We are the cock roach of the boating world.
HEE HEE.

I agree, the compass is a must. Where I plan on kayaking along the
shores of Buzzards Bay one could get caught in a fog or poor
visability easily. Many boats have been rammed by sports fishermen. A
kayak is invisable to radar. Crossing open waters requires some
thinking.....Jim