Danforth Compass repair and speaker relocation

[Vincentc]

My new (to me) 43 DC 1983 has two big hansome danforth compasses; however the FB compass has a bubble the size of a silver dollar and the helm compass always reads 330 degrees.

I started to remove the screws holding the helm compass with a cordless drill driver and noticed the card swing like it never had. I then took note of a very large speaker mounted (by the previous owner) just forward and starboard of (less than 24 inches from) the compass.

I suspect the speaker magnets are causing my problem. Any suggestions on how speakers should be located in relation to compasses?

I am inclined to re-mount them from the underside of the hardtop over the aft deck, and locate them well aft, probably close to above the transom. This raises the question of how to best run the speaker wires from the dash just behind the windshield via the overhead to the new intended location.

The FB compass works find but needs fluid. Is adding fluid something for a boat owner to undertake? What is the correct fluid, where do you get it and how do you put it in. If Not, any recomendations regarding compass repairers?

Thanks
Vincent

 

[bigbill]

hey vincent, i'm not sure about adding fluid yourself, but if you need repairs, baker lymann in metairie does compass repairs. bigbill

 

[yachtsmanbill]

Compasses are extremely sensitive to ANY kind of magnetic influence... even your charts will show area of magnetic deviation as little as 1 or 2 degrees.
The juice is glycerin which holds a steady viscosity and will not freeze. There is probably a small plug on the bottom. Make sure there is ZERO air entrapped. A good compass shop will "swing" the compass for you for a new "deviation" card but thats best done on the boat. Move those dang speakers!! plus anything else electronic for that matter. ws

 

[Will]

Your speakers are the problem with the lower compass. On our 43 DCFB, the aft deck speakers are mounted on the hardtop by the aft end of the pilot station side windows, putting them about 4'' aft and about 2' higher than the compass. The wires are run up tahrough the main conduit by the door to the salon, under the flybridge bench seats (on top of the hardtop) then to the speakers through small holes drilled in the hardtop. The only wiring in the hard top I know about is for the hard top dome light. That runs down the center rib on the bottom of the hard top to the area over the center windshield, then to the right and down the windshield channel between the center windshield window and the stbd windshield window to a terminal block in the salon overhead. If you can figure out how to pull wire through that area let me know because my dome light wire is broken by the center window wiper motor and I don't know how to access it.

As for the bubble in the upper compass, there is usually a diaphragm inside the compass to compensate for fluid expansion and contraction due to temperature changes. It's probably broken so putting fluid in won't solve your problem. The compass needs to be repaired.

Will

 

[Vincentc]

Thanks for the comments,
Professional repair for the bubble makes more sense and Baker Lyman sound like a good place to check.
I removed the speaker and the compass now reads the correct heading.
To me attaching the speaker brackets to the aft support posts for the hardtop with u-bolts appears to me like the best location and I will probably use some kind of external conduit attached to the underside of the hardtop with adhesive. I am adverse to drilling holes.
Regards,
Vincent

 

[garyd]

Fixing the compass is painless and actually kinda fun. They will leak for a variety of reasons, but most of the time it is not a failure just a leak. ie leaks at -20 degrees over the winter layup or at +140 degrees under the noon day sun. I always made sure in the bright sun I covered the compass with something.

I've repaired a number of them. However on one instance I sent it back to the manufacturere who cleaned it installed a new dome and sent it back. Kinda like Bennet trim tabs NO CHARGE.

This is a very simple fix, if the dome is good, just turn it upside down remove the fill screw wiggle it around to make sure all the air is up to the top fill it up reinstall the screw and your done.

garyd

 

[the kuz]

Sent one of ours out to be rebuilt - very satisfied - like new. Andrews Compas Service, P.O. Box 1122 (15 Baptist St)
Mattaposet, MA, 02739 - 0407. Phone 508-758-3001. Estimated cost in 2005 was $90 parts and $62.50 labor. Rebuild included chaning dome, O-ring, expansion chamber, Oil. Compass was disassembled, cleaned, reassembled and filled/run through vacuum chamber to evacuate alll air moecules from oil solution, and adjusted to be spot on. Don't think you can fix it right w/o vacuum chamber. Actual price was about $25 under estimate - did not need dome replaced. Call them and they will tell you how to prep, pack, and ship it.

Regards, Bob K