ZIPSILVER COMPASS INSTALL

ZIPSILVER HOBIE COMPASS INSTALL

OBJECTIVE: Install a Quality Compass while minimizing potential for failure due to stresses.
COMPASS USED: RITCHIE V-527 KAYAKER BULKHEAD MOUNT
APPLICATION: Hobie Tandem Island Rear

The compass comes with small screws but I wasn’t comfortable just screwing it to the hull. Over time flexing and pressure such as accidentally stepping on it would loosen the screws, strip the plastic, and leave a potential large open hole into the hull while offshore. My arm isn’t long enough to access the backside to attach washer, lock washer and nut/wingnut.

I fabricated a back plate with from acrylic plastic and used the same 3” Hole Saw blade to cut the hull hole and then the back plate hole. This delivers the ability to tighten much firmer without stripping plastic and can be removed easily for servicing if needed.
1. Drilled Hole in Hull with 3” Hole Saw
2. Drilled Hole in Back Plate with 3” Hole Saw
3. Placed Compass in Back Plate Hole
4. Drilled 1st bolt hole & placed bolt in it
5. Drilled 2nd bolt hole & placed bolt in it , (repeat for corners 3 & 4)
6. Traced outline on back plate then rough trimmed to shape with a mini circular saw
7. Placed compass in back plate and installed all 4 bolts, washers, lock washers and wing nuts.
8. Applied 5 Minute Epoxy all around the bolts to lock them in place and let cure 24hrs.
9. Placed Compass in Hole in hull, leveled, drilled 1st Bolt hole in Hull through the Compass as template & placed Bolt in it.
10. Drilled 2nd hole through compass as template and inserted bolt, repeated for #3 & #4.
11. Very important to use this method as holes must be perfectly aligned to be able to engage nut on backside / no access.
12. Fed a string through Hole in hull up to Forward hatch, tied it to back plate, then pulled back plate to back side of hole.
13. Inserted bolts through kayak into template to align then Duct taped all 4 sides internally to temporarily hold in place.
14. Installed Gasket on Compass and inserted bolts and tightened down firmly.





Printable PDF Link: (with images)
https://onedrive.live.com/redir?resid=A ... file%2cpdf

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Jim
St. Petersburg, FL

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Jim
St. Petersburg, FL

I've been kicking around the idea of installing a compass on my TI. This is the one I think I'll go with:
Ritchie Compass Ritchie Xp-99 Kayaker Compass - Surface Mount - Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002LVHAMC/re ... hxb3MJ3RYF
I was just planning on mounting it to the 8" hatch in front of the seat.

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2015 Hobie Tandem Island Hibiscus
"Third Normal Form"

• Trampolines
• Hobie cover
• Davis Spar Fly
• Kayakbob's Sprayskirts
• Spine Board Hakas

I used the bulkhead compass on my old boat and the surface mount on the hatch on my new boat. The bulkhead mount was hard for my old eyes to see. I like that you can set a bearing on the surface mount.

I'm planning on same thing... Ritchie kayak compass because it is 100% repairable and made in the US.... mount on 8" hatch for best visibility for the over 40:) crowd..... Have seen some with velcro and also the twist on/off base lets you remove it easily.... Prices vary dramatically from ebay, amazon, boating sources..... For half the price (and longevity?) the Brunton kayaking harness is being given away for $31, however it's made in China and they are discontinuing it forever. Thoughts/experiences?

Geezus, don't you people ever slide forward on your hatch cover to reach something? Hard to do that with a surface mounted compass. Please enlighten me.

Keith

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2015 AI 2, 2014 Tandem

"Any intelligent fool can make things bigger and more complex ... It takes a touch of genius and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction." A. Einstein

"Less is more" Anon

Nope, once my fat ass is planted it doesn't move

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2015 Hobie Tandem Island Hibiscus
"Third Normal Form"

• Trampolines
• Hobie cover
• Davis Spar Fly
• Kayakbob's Sprayskirts
• Spine Board Hakas

I love it. Perfect placement. I can see heading at all times. Even right between the pedals if I lean way back. I personally would never want the compass on the Hatch as it would be always in my way and take a beating. My purpose was to be easy to see, protected from traffic, and very durable mount.

The benefit of mounting it on the would be that I could return it to "stock" by replacing hatch. & it wouldn't require cutting into hull. Still considering all that at length. I chose durable, convenient, protected and commercial strength mount, without sacrificing any floor space.

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Jim
St. Petersburg, FL

Mounted as Jim has done looks pretty good, but I'm a GPS man. Frankly, I don't remember the last time I used a compass, and I'm serious about that. I carry my GPS in a clear dry bag, and, if my wife is not using her GPS, I bring it along as a backup. I don't remember the last time I used a GPS backup either. Never have an on-water problem with my GPS units.

Keith

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2015 AI 2, 2014 Tandem

"Any intelligent fool can make things bigger and more complex ... It takes a touch of genius and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction." A. Einstein

"Less is more" Anon

I'm a GPS man too. I have a Garmin 440 Chartplotter. However as a 10yr Vet & Cave Diver I always have redundancy / contingency plans. Nature is unforgiving, batteries can fail. Storms can cause loss of gear and my compass will take me to land in Zero visibility while out on the gulf. I'll have to send you a video of the SuperCell that popped up out of nowhere pushing out to gulf while south of Egmont Key, FL in my little Hobie Outfitter. GPS battery failed & we are lucky to be alive. Waiting for hail and 55+mph winds to pass in the old Army Bunkers caused us to miss Tide. Massive tide exiting bay flushed us out, snapped the rudder pin, darkness, Zero visibility of any land, lights, sky and only way to navigate was my trusty compass.

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Jim
St. Petersburg, FL

Southern end of Egmont Key heading Back to Ft Desoto. We had just Rounded Egmont and began heading North only to See this Cell pushing out to gulf.

After waiting out heaviest of storm for an hour in the bunkers we left in darkness wind rain and no sight of Ft Desoto or any lights on shoreline. 100ft deep, sharks literally 5 feet below kayak on Garmin, battery fails, then rudder snaps, river of confused water spinning us in every direction due to massive tide outflow. Made a rudder out of 1/2 paddle and twisting into
side bungee and what seemed like hours of survival peddling @ 90% of what we could muster later could see lights of shoreline


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Jim
St. Petersburg, FL

Would love to see the video if it's not too hard to post.

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Greg

2016 AI - Spinn & Jib

“Out of sight of land the sailor feels safe. It is the beach that worries him.”
– Charles G. Davis

I found it & uploaded to YouTube.
https://youtu.be/tzE99kCHQf0


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Jim
St. Petersburg, FL

I have been researching for a good place to put a compass and this is excellent - thank you for taking the time to share your process.

No problem XamaX, Jan 2018 long term follow-up, still looks exactly as the day it was installed and 100% snug and water tight.

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Jim
St. Petersburg, FL