Definition
Normally a liquid-filled card compass mounted in a binnacle or bulkhead housing on or near the centreline, with a lubber line aligned exactly fore and aft, gimbals or a card floating in damping fluid, and internal lighting. On yachts it is typically read to the nearest degree or two. Siting matters more than quality: keeping it at least a metre from engines, loudspeakers, chart plotters, handheld VHF radios and mobile telephones limits deviation far more effectively than later correction.
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