North magnetic pole

Green Island - a small target

We usually handrail along the shore or make small crossings. Sometimes we make crossings in sunny weather when we can see our target. Sometimes fog creeps into the picture and we need to rely on our compass. When we use the compass to navigate, it helps to know a little about Earth' magnet is field.

Earth's north magnetic pole is galloping across Canada's north towards Siberia at a blistering pace of 55 - 60 kms per year. That can make a significant difference when we navigate to unseen small targets.

Topographic maps or marine charts can't be updated every year so the declination from geographic north to magnetic north must be known when plotting a course based on compass. In Canada the government has a site where the declination can be determined from any site in the country for any year.

If you are shooting for a small target in the fog, check out their site before you launch into the unknown.