An essential piece of kit aboard most boats, the compass is crucial in marine navigation. When selecting the compass it's important to consider whether it will be lit, visible at night, with or without compensation, and does it have the correct card balanced for the area you are using it.
The two main choices are:
Handbearing Compasses / sight bearing compasses
Generally this is a small compass that is handheld. It will be fitted with a site that you then use to accurately identify locations and calculate bearings.
Fixed mount compasses
Types of compass fixed mounts available are: