60 seamanship secrets
Reset the board to 270 degrees, re-align your book, and spin your board.
Repeat the process as before. When you are done, install your error-free
compass onboard.How to Choose and Adjust Marine Binoculars
Select marine binoculars based on quality, comfort, clarity, and ease of adjust-
ment. Good binoculars allow you to see vessels through haze, rain, or low
light conditions. From far away, you can identify that buoy you’re looking
for or the friendly twinkle of a long-awaited landfall.
Field of View (FOV)
When you look through a pair of binoculars, a circle surrounds the object being
viewed. Th e diameter of that circle at a distance of 1,000 yards is called the fi eld
of view, or FOV. A larger FOV helps keep objects inside the circle when your
boat is rolling or pitching. Purchase binoculars with a specifi ed FOV between
350 and 450 feet at 1,000 yards.
Power and Light-Gathering Ability
Th e most common marine binocular powers are 7 × 50 and 7 × 35. Th e fi rst
number shows the amount of magnifi cation of a viewed object. You’ll need mag-
nifi cation of 6 or 7; anything higher causes objects to jump out of the FOV.
Th e second number is the diameter of the larger lens, or objective lens. Th is
indicates the instrument’s ability to gather light at twilight or nighttime and in haze or
fog. Larger is better. Look for an objective lens diameter of 35 to 50 millimeters.
Is the Rubber Coating Waterproof?
Rubber coating provides the user with a better grip and protects against dam-
age. Waterproof binoculars come charged with nitrogen to prevent intrusion
into the prism or lens housing. Read the specifi cations and avoid binoculars
bearing the much less protective “water-resistant” claim. You want waterproof,
not just water-resistant, binoculars, and you’ll be glad you spent a few dollars
more aft er spray or a squall douses your binocs.
SEA-CRET TIP
X Eyeglass wearers should choose rubber-coated binoculars with
the fold-down eyecups. These help improve focus and provide
comfort when bracing the binoculars against glasses.