MERLIN ROCKET FORUM

Topic : Tacktick or Silva

Tacktick micro or conventional Silva racing compass. Which is the better of the two for ease of use and accuracy?


Posted: 21/01/2005 11:17:16
By: Lostcourse
The tack tick is very easy to use, light , and the timer features a syncronize facility to get the start timing right so it gets my vote (and no I do not sell them !!)


Posted: 21/01/2005 13:35:27
By: Ian
Tac-tic, the dark ages are over.  Who knows, construction techniques could even evolve far enough this century to allow smooth skin construction.


Posted: 21/01/2005 13:43:46
By: Cutting edge
I don't think it matters.

A digital compass is easier to read, but a standard Silva is hardly difficult if total precision isn't required.


Posted: 21/01/2005 20:04:19
By: Chris
Tacktick. It's a no-brainer decision. They're so much better.


Posted: 21/01/2005 20:34:30
By: super-surfer
I think it's really down to personal preference - many swear by (or occasionally at) their Tackticks, but I've used both and found I got on much better with a traditional compass.  The Tacktick can be difficult to read in some light conditions or from certain angles.  Also, although the newer ones are much more reliable, electronics in a marine environment can be prone to problems....

With traditional compasses, most people seem to use a large Silva model mounted either behind the mast, or on top of the buoyancy tank. However, on my previous boats I've used a small Silva (model 73R??) compass mounted on the foredeck. This means it is in my line of sight, i.e. "heads up", when looking at the jib tell tales. This model compass is also much cheaper than a Tacktick or a large Silva!


Posted: 22/01/2005 19:01:17
By: Dave Lee
is best.  if you get frustrated by losing by a boat length then knowing that your average heading has improved by 1 degree or got worse by 1 degree is excellent information.  of course you can choose to have the non digital read out because then you can guess as to whether this has happened.

obviously you can still make the wrong decision with the information from the tack tick, but at least you do not have to guess what the information is.

not sure which costs more, but maybe you should follow the class tradition and opt for the most expensive..........


Posted: 23/01/2005 11:32:51
By: tack tick
If you want to go for the traditional approach email me as I have one of the big Silva’s with a bulkhead bracket sat in the garage.  I’m sure we can do a deal.

Personally I would strongly recommend the tic tac, worth every penny, but don’t leave it one the boat when towing or it won’t last a season.

Jon07771648796(at)hotmail.com


Posted: 24/01/2005 09:37:39
By: For sale
Can you sail a precise enough course upwind through waves, working the boat to avoid the big crests, to determine that the 1 degree change on your Tacktick really is a shift?  How about in light winds and the boat bouncing around in a short chop?


Posted: 24/01/2005 13:11:44
By: Realist
entirely agree with you detecting little shifts is hard.  but the tacktick is damped - it records an average of your recent headings so it is able to confirm what you think has just happened.

it is a fact, which has to then be considered along with all the information that you have. i would certainly use a tacktick to watch the wind swing on an oscillating day. if you know that the average direction has been between say 250 and 230 and it is clocking up through the 240s then you have good info to tell you that you are sailing into the header. whether you choose to bank at 245 or carry on to get to 250 is up to you, but having a digital readout enables sensible debate between helm and crew rather than saying its on number 8 where i am sitting and the other one saying its number 2 over here.

get modern.

ps merlins dont bounce in a short chop; they go right through it.


Posted: 24/01/2005 14:09:59
By: tack tick
strap it to the dash so you can find the venue!


Posted: 24/01/2005 18:34:58
By: lost of course
I totally agree with 'For Sale' that the tic tac is much cheaper.  It also tastes of peppermint.


Posted: 25/01/2005 09:30:56
By: Bill
Yes - and they're only one calory too


Posted: 27/01/2005 15:09:12
By: Weight watcher
Careful who you shake them at though..


Posted: 27/01/2005 16:09:37
By: hefaroo

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