Brass Hex Gimbal Compass 7"

Gimbals are a relatively simplistic device, yet one that has become an important part of nautical life. Although they are used for various equipment and storage, the primary usage aboard a ship is to stabilize the ship’s brass compass. This is accomplished by allowing the brass compass to remain stationary while the gimbals revolve around three axes on three different dimensional planes. Aboard a ship, with its constant motion at sea, the readings of an antique brass compass can be affected if attached directly to the ship. With the addition of gimbals, however, the ship may move to and fro and the compass remains still in the center, allowing for a true reading. This is achieved by the brass compass being attached to three concentric circles, aligned to compensate for roll, yaw, and pitch movement. Running from bow to stern of a ship is the roll axis, perpendicular to that is the pitch axis from port to starboard, and in the direct center of the ship pointing vertically is the yaw axis. Together these three make up the movement of a vessel; the movement that the gimbal is designed to offset. If the ship were to move along the roll axis the gimbal would transfer that movement into a circular motion around the compass, so that if you were able to stand atop the compass it would appear the ship was revolving around you. With three of these circles together, the gimbals allow for movement in any or all directions at once, while the compass remains stationary in the center. These marine compasses for sale are a truly remarkable device, with as much history as ingenuity involved.