Silva [Nexus] 103RE tactical compass

Strangler

Member
Hey, am I missing something? The red and green scale is supposed to give the same number on each tack. eg Green 0 on stbd, Red 0 on port. But look at the pic, that is what it is reading on the two lubber lines now WITHOUT TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE BOAT MOVING THROUGH 80-90 DEGREES between tacks.
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SilvaYoutube.jpg

The manufacturers have an explanitory video. But he cheats, see second pic. He is not aligning the compass with his heading but points it into the wind on both tacks. In real world tacking you get junk readings. Surely this is a well known balls-up, or am I missing something.
 
When on starboard tack, you read the green numbers looking at the lubber line on the starboard side. On port tack you read the red numbers looking at the lubber line on the ports side. There is no stuff up, personally I prefer the older style that only had one ring of 20 numbers which were easier to read and the difference between port & starboard was 10 divisions (numbers).
 
Each division looks to be 10 degrees to me so you read the numbers on each tack (should be 4.5 division different between the 2 if you tack through exactly 90 degrees).

Then once you have your baselines you can work out if you are being headed or lifted from there.... (smaller for headers, larger for lifts unless you go through zero of course ;))
 
The tactical compasses are scaled for 10 divisions = 90 degrees so that you only have add/subtract 10 when you tack.
 
Ah! I thought the idea was that you get the same number on each tack, therefore easier to work things out and to see if you have a shift as you tacked. Seems eminently sensible. But I have reread the advertising blurb, that is not the idea. It merely allows for the offset of the lubber lines [40 degrees each way] so you read your actual heading. Absolutely no advantage for the small boat racer. Eg Starboard tack, heading due north, compass reads 0 [over 28], tack onto port and it reads [16over] 8. ie. 0 on stbd, 8 on port. No advantage at all [assumes 80 degree tacking angle, keeping it simple- the lubber lines are 80deg apart]. Scale goes up to 36 ie actual degrees.
BUT I have just rewatched the video. He definitely says you get the same number on each tack [1min 40 in, he manages it by cheating as said above]. A total balls up I say!
 

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