GB is working on our boat and is installing a Plastimo Contest 101,
inclined bulkhead version. I looked at a Ritchie Navigator BN202: a
nice (very) large dual reading compass, but it requires an absolutely
vertical bulkhead (unless you buy very expensive leveling blocks).
The numerals are not as easy to see from 5-6 feet or so as the card
size would lead you to suppose, though I think they are large enough.
Had we decided to put the compass on the companionway insert, we
probably would have chosen the Ritchie.
Also looked at the Plastimo 100 (The 101 is an updated version of
this compass, which has been around a long time). The numerals on
the 100 seemed significantly smaller and less visible than those on
the 101, and I thought the lighting fixture on the 100 tended to
block the view of the card a bit. The 101 supposedly has lighting
that is superior to the 100.
I did not look at the Saturn, but a number of owners have it and seem
to like it. There are, of course, other possibilities out there.
The main factor in our choice was visibility of the numerals (given
the Rhodes' large cockpit) and ability to handle inclined bulkheads.
We went with the bulkhead location rather than the companionway inset
mainly because we do not want to have to remove the compass in order
to close up the cabin.
David Walker
