AlaskaProf
Guru
- Joined
- Jun 26, 2016
- Messages
- 2,301
- Location
- US of A
- Vessel Name
- boatless, ex: Seeadler
- Vessel Make
- RAWSON 41
Enroute to Meyer's Chuck this morning my autopilot in heading mode made a hard-over to starboard, definitely making me sit up and pay attention. Turned it off and on, got same response....hmmm. switched it at the breaker; no help. Turned it on to see if there was a limit. It rolled out 120 degrees off course...hmmm.
Then I recalled, we are passing a place called Magnetic Point, and sure enough, there's an explanatory chart note...AAH!
So, I hand steer for a half hour or so and it slowly dawns on me that the compass isn't doing anything dramtic...hmm. Hand-bearing compass is equally stable.
I cast an accusatory glance at the autopilot flux detector and realize that while moving stuff off my chart table I had moved my Bose bluetooth speaker (think two-pound magnet) a critical foot closer to the...you guessed it: flux sensor.
DOH!
Then I recalled, we are passing a place called Magnetic Point, and sure enough, there's an explanatory chart note...AAH!
So, I hand steer for a half hour or so and it slowly dawns on me that the compass isn't doing anything dramtic...hmm. Hand-bearing compass is equally stable.
I cast an accusatory glance at the autopilot flux detector and realize that while moving stuff off my chart table I had moved my Bose bluetooth speaker (think two-pound magnet) a critical foot closer to the...you guessed it: flux sensor.
DOH!