North Star Compass

• Price:
• £28.96

The North Star Compass

 

The compass is the oldest instrument for sea navigation and has been used for centuries. By taking bearings of visible objects, the compass allows ships to steer a selected course. With the aid of the compass, the ship's navigator was also able to map the ships physical position on a sea chart

 

Compasses such as the North Star Compass consisted of an ornately decorated card bearing navigational points Gimbal mounted in such a way that made it unaffected by the movement of the ship on the sea. The remains of one such compass, housed in a special stand called a binnacle, was found in the wreck of King Henry VIII's flagship, the Mary Rose, which sank in 1546.

 

A solid and robust brass finished compass, complete with lid to protect the glass compass face

 

Dimensions: 5.5cm x 1.8cm (0.75" x 2.25")