Compass Divider

The divider compass is a "symbolic" instrument of maritime navigation, often assimilated to an element of marine decoration because of its brass manufacture. In reality, it is a particularly useful tool for the navigator on his chart. It is an essential complement to the navigation ruler and is used to measure distances accurately on the chart, thanks to the Latitude scales on the chart which are also the distance scales. It is also used to determine the position (geographical coordinates in latitude and longitude) of the boat with more or less precision depending on the scale of the chart and to position a point on the chart whose geographical coordinates are known. We offer several models of our Flash-Tide brand, including the One hand divider, known for its aesthetics and accuracy thanks to fine stainless steel points.

There are different types of compasses on the market in terms of size (7'' or 8'' inches), shape (straight or lyre) and material (all brass or brass / stainless steel or sometimes all stainless steel)

The dry point compass (in English "divider") is basically a traditional geometric instrument used by masons and carpenters. Today, it is an indispensable tool for the chart table, in addition to the navigation ruler.

To allow more precision in measurements, Picksea teams have designed high quality dry point compasses, equipped with fine stainless steel points. The body of the compass remains in brass, which guarantees both its elegance and its reliability in a marine environment. The compass is made up of 2 branches, 8'' inches long (about 20 cm) linked together by a joint whose hardness can be adjusted by a screw

The different compass models we offer are

• The straight Flash-Tide compass which has two parallel and straight branches. It has the advantage of having a large opening to measure larger distances. This type of compass is suitable for tabletop exercises for the offshore licence.
• The One hand divider which has a shape allowing the use of one hand ("one-hand divider" in English). It is more elegant, but has a smaller opening capacity than the straight compass.
• The marine plotting compass is a wooden pencil that can be placed on one of the legs, which makes it easier to draw the graphic constructions on the map.

All the Flash-Tide compasses designed and sold by Picksea are used by many training boats and navigation schools in France and abroad.