Compass Mounting for wooden kayaks

Recessed mount for Aquameter Skipper
 

	First, I built a ring of wood out of two strips of 1/16" x 3/4" pine.  You might need wider strips if you have a more angular peak.  I stripped all of the deck strips to this ring.  The ring could easily be retrofit and "let-in" to the strips or plywood that makes up your deck.
	The recessed compass mount on the foredeck.  After all strips were in place, the ring was trimmed flush with the top surface of the deck (above left). This left too little wood to cover the peak on the bottom surface, so I glued in one more ring of pine (above right). I then inset a redwood strip plate in the bottom of the ring to mount my compass on.  I later cut a 2 3/8" diameter hole in this plate, sealed the exposed wood edges, and ran a piece of weatherstrip around the hole before screwing down the compass.
	The installed compass.

Surface mount for  for Ritchie X-10 Sport

I used a piece of 5/4 Mahogany, but any hardwood that looks good on your boat would work.

Cut a "donut" with the outside diameter 4" and the inside diameter 2 3/8", which is the same diameter as the compass. Then, put a 3/8" radius on the top outside edge, and use a pencil to scribe the deck radius on the bottom of the donut. A coarse rasp and 60-grit sandpaper will bring the shape of the bottom down to the line.

Next, trace the back profile of the compass mount onto the top of the donut, and using a hacksaw and dremel tool or x-acto knife, make a recess for the mount. Drill two 3/32" holes in the sides of the donut so they hit the recess where the screws enter the mount. Replace the #4 x 3/8" screws with #4 x 1" screws -- make sure they're brass or stainless, both so they don't corrode, and so they don't interfere with the compass.

The compass mount is glued to the deck with a generous fillet of thickened epoxy. If your deck is previously varnished or fiberglassed, rough up the general area with coarse sandpaper so the epoxy "bites" better.

Varnish normally with the rest of your deck. (Which, obviously, I still have yet to do!)

This compass has a built-in night light. I drilled a 1/8" hole in the deck below the wire and fished the wire down into the forward compartment. Eventually, I'll rig up a small 12V battery to provide some night-time illumination, but it's not a priority right now. Maybe if and when I add an electric bilge pump.

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