Boat's liquid compass and binnacle

Bowl: A brass bowl painted brown and set in gimbals on a wood and brass base. The verge ring is graduated 0 - 108 East and West and there is a heavy weight on the bottom of the bowl. The inside of the bowl is black apart from a white strip showing the lubber line. The filler hole is on the side of the bowl.
Card: A mica card painted black with white markings graduated to quarter points.
Needle: Unsighted.
Pivot: Unsighted.
Binnacle: The binnacle is in two parts, one consisting of a circular base which carries the gimbal brackets which support the compass, the other being in the form of a hood which carries two candle lamps, has two windows, the forward one being provided with a hinged cover flap: and a somwhat complicated device for taking bearings mounted in gimbals in a small aperture at the top of the hood. The base of the binnacle is of wood and carries a heavy brass ring with projecting brackets for taking the bowl gimbals. This ring has a recess cut in it in which two pins, screwed into the hood, engage so as to permit the latter to be revolved. The ring is graduated from 0 at North to 180 at South and an engraved line on the hood acts as a pointed for reading the engraved scale.
Diameter 10" (25.4 cm)
O.A. height 16.75" (42.5 cm)

Object Details

ID: ACO0184
Type: Boat's liquid compass and binnacle
Display location: Not on display
Creator: Henry Hughes & Son Limited
Date made: 1892
Credit: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London, Admiralty Compass Observatory
Measurements: Overall: 420 mm x 310 mm x 280 mm