Bermuda is about 700 miles from Charleston and is about 12 miles wide. Your compass must be accurate to half of a degree to hit it within plus or minus five miles. Figure on losing 1.75 miles for every 100 miles per degree of compass error. The mistake was leaving from Charleston. Next time drop down to Beaufort, SC and maintain a constant latitude with your sextant. Alan Lloyd Author, Great Loop Navigation Notes _www.NavigationNotes.com_ (http://www.navigationnotes.com/) Visit web site for more information. It In a message dated 9/23/2009 10:46:06 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time, circumnavigate06@bellsouth.net writes: a fellow that cruised from Charleston, SC to Bermuda and missed the islands entirely because his compass was not properly calibrated.

> Bermuda is about 700 miles from Charleston and is about 12 miles wide. > Your compass must be accurate to half of a degree to hit it within plus > or > minus five miles. > Figure on losing 1.75 miles for every 100 miles per degree of compass > error. > The mistake was leaving from Charleston. Next time drop down to > Beaufort, > SC and maintain a constant latitude with your sextant. > Considering sideways drift caused by the Gulf Current, you cannot do this trip with even the most accurate compass and most diligent pilot. You better have a sextant or GPS. -- Jim