[PUP] Satellite Compass

[Peter Pisciotta]

I have delivered several Nordhavns with Furuno
satellite compasses, and many without (fluxgates).
While I don't recall being further north than the
Columbia River with a satellite compass-equipped so
cannot speak to wandering in high latitudes, I don't
every recall noticing a difference in how the boat
tracked. It could be that these were generally new
boats and the electronics still needed some tweaking,
and it could be that I'm not very observant about
these things (I'm with Bob - what's a little wandering
amongst friends?), but I just didn't find there to be
a discernable difference.

As a suggestion, before taking final delivery, make
sure ALL aspects of the eletronics have been
thoroughly tested, interfaced, and calibrated. A lot
has changed in the couple years I've been away from
the 'business,' but many boats I delivered were rushed
away from the dock. Consequently, some of the
eletronics were not dialed-in. PC interfaces were
commonly non-op, wxfax not setup, remote VHF handsets
not installed (or had the wrong connector), GPS not
interfaced to all displays, non-installed peripherals
(once had a depth sounder that hadn't been installed),
and a whole host of other minor maladies. All too
often, the boat was late getting completed and final
repairs bumped up against schedules so the last few
issues were left unresolved. My advice is to resist
the temptation to do it later - there will never be a
better time to resolve an issue than when it is at the
dock with all vendors nearby --- waiting final
payment.

Peter
www.SeaSkills.com
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