So you have the perfect compass–just the right size, perfect performance and it's easy to read. You know how to adjust it as necessary, and you have it on your pre-departure check list. You're good to go. Right? Wrong.

There are a couple of important precautions you need to take when your compass is not in use, starting with protecting it from direct sunlight. Your aim is to prevent the ravages associated with that sunlight by eliminating unnecessary exposure. You see, sunlight can cause discoloration of the liquid and even the card, potentially shortening the effective life span of your compass.

If the binnacle, the casing for your compass, has a light-shielding hood, you have only to close it whenever you're not using the compass–like when you're in your slip or on a mooring. If it does not, you need to devise some sort of sunscreen. Be sure that the material you select is completely impervious to sunlight (cloth, for instance, by virtue of its weave is not always so).

You must also be pro–active in maintaining the proper magnetic environment around your compass. In other words, don't install any iron or steel fixtures near it or, for that matter, place any iron or steel items in its vicinity.

- Linda Hoff