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Flinders bar
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Flinders bar

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Quick Summary

A Flinders bar is a navigational tool used to counteract magnetic deviation in a ship's compass. It is a soft-iron bar or bundle of rods placed near the compass. This helps to correct for magnetic induction caused by the ship's vertical ironwork, ensuring a more accurate reading of Earth's magnetic field.1

The magnetic compass itself is a fundamental instrument in navigation, allowing users to determine direction by aligning with Earth's magnetic field. Historically, mariners discovered that magnetized objects would point north-south, enabling them to navigate even out of sight of land. The Flinders bar, named after English mariner Matthew Flinders, is one of several devices developed to refine compass accuracy, especially on metal ships.231

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3 Britannica Sources
  1. Flinders bar
  2. magnetic compass
  3. navigation - The liquid magnetic compass

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