No boat should be without a compass, no matter how much cool electronic navigation capability it has. That’s where Ritchie’s X-11Y SportAbout Handheld Compass comes in very, well, handy. Easily fitting in the palm of your hand or raised to eye level to be used as a line-of-sight compass, it’s small enough to fit into a pocket or wear around the neck with the included lanyard, measuring just 2.6″ x 2.5″ x 1.4″. That easy portability means that you can toss it into your gear bag and carry it onto whatever boat you happen to be sailing.
The SportAbout’s easy-to-read 2-inch white dial is set on a sapphire jewel atop a hardened steel pivot to reduce spinning and jumping. Bold black degree marks, numbers, and headings are easy to read. Included Cyalume chemical light sticks provide 18 hours of night illumination.
The impact-resistant safety yellow silicone case has an integrated QuickSight V-notch for easy heading alignment. A built-in roller diaphragm provides an extended temperature operating range.
Made in the USA, the Ritchie Navigation X-11Y SportAbout Handheld magnetic compass runs $62.45. An optional black (X-11-H) or white (X-11-HW) SportAbout Holder mounts to any flat surface with three screws to keep the device close at hand; it runs $18.84. Additional Cyalume light sticks are $15.75 for four. ritchienavigation.com
