In August 2007, I attended a Compass Adjusters' course conducted in Townsville, North Queensland. The course was run by Captain Rod Haig, Extra Master, who as well as being highly intelligent is a great teacher. Rod is also authorised by AMSA, the relevant authority, as an examiner for compass adjusters.
The course was certainly not easy, with many new concepts to absorb.
Coincedentally, Rod was the principal of the RMIT Navigation School when I was a student there studying for my Second Mate's Certificate in 1978.
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| Our instructor, Rod Haig, giving a practical lesson aboard a tug in Townsville harbour. |
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| After Rod performed a compass adjustment on the tug, we stayed aboard while the tug assisted in the departure of British Loyalty, a coastal tanker. |
On another occasion we went aboard a brand new marlin fishing boat while Rod performed a compass adjustment there.
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| Rod preparing a pelorus. |
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| Aboard a New Guinean island trader in Townsville harbour. |
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| Two of my fellow students. |
Magnetic compass adjusting and plotting of deviation card.
ReplyDeleteMagnetic compass surveys are carried out and large errors are corrected on site, with remnant errors, a deviation card is issued which needs t be displayed on board vessel.