Silva 85E Flush Mount Illuminated Marine Compass – 85mm, 12V

Navigate with confidence using the Silva 85E Flush Mount Illuminated Compass, a compact, high-quality marine steering compass designed for sailing yachts, powerboats, launches and smaller recreational vessels.

Featuring an 85mm compass card, built-in 12V red illumination, a 360° rotating memory ring and three lubber lines, the Silva 85E delivers clear, reliable heading information in a practical flush-mount design.

Its stable, well-dampened compass card is designed to remain readable when boating in rough conditions or at higher speeds. The flat-bottom construction also allows installation without cutting a large opening in the mounting surface.

Suitable for both daytime and night-time navigation, the Silva 85E provides a useful independent magnetic heading reference alongside electronic navigation instruments.

Whether you're replacing an existing marine compass, upgrading your boat's steering position or fitting out a new vessel, the Silva 85E offers a combination of proven compass design, compact dimensions and straightforward installation.

Available online from Barton Marine NZ, supplying marine navigation equipment, boating accessories and chandlery throughout New Zealand.

Key Features

• Genuine Silva 85E Marine Steering Compass

• 85mm apparent compass card diameter

• Built-in 12V red illumination for night-time reading

• Compact flush-mount, flat-bottom construction

• No large mounting cut-out required

• Clear compass card with 5° graduations

• 360° rotating memory ring for setting a desired course

• Three lubber lines for reading from different positions

• Centre and angled side-view reading positions

• Well-dampened compass card for stable readings

• Suitable for compatible sailboats and powerboats

• Manufacturer-stated accuracy of ±1°

• Durable acrylic and ABS construction

• Scratch-resistant acrylic compass bowl

• Compact 120mm overall diameter

• Approximately 67mm overall height

• Weight approximately 300g

• Supplied with compass unit, illumination and mounting kit

• Suitable for 12V marine electrical systems

Technical Specifications

Important: Silva manufactures different regional magnetic-zone versions of the 85E. Confirm that the compass supplied is the appropriate version for navigation in New Zealand before installation.

Reliable Magnetic Navigation for Boats

A magnetic compass remains an important navigation instrument aboard recreational vessels.

Unlike a GPS chartplotter or electronic heading display, a traditional magnetic compass does not depend on satellite reception to indicate direction.

The Silva 85E provides a clear magnetic heading reference at the helm, making it useful for steering, maintaining a course and cross-checking electronic navigation information.

Its compact design makes it particularly suitable for smaller vessels where dashboard or deck space may be limited.

The compass itself operates magnetically; its electrical connection is required for illumination.

Built-In 12V Red Illumination

The Silva 85E features integrated 12V red illumination, allowing the compass card to be read in low-light conditions.

Red lighting is commonly used on marine navigation instruments because it can help preserve night vision compared with bright white lighting.

This makes the Silva 85E suitable for:

• Early morning departures

• Evening boating

• Night-time sailing

• Low-light navigation

• Overnight cruising

The illumination is designed for connection to a suitable 12V DC marine electrical supply.

Always follow the manufacturer's wiring instructions and use appropriate circuit protection.

85mm Compass Card for Clear Reading

The Silva 85E features an apparent compass card diameter of 85mm.

The flat card has clear directional markings with graduations at 5° intervals.

This provides a useful balance between compact installation dimensions and easy readability.

The compass can be read from above and from suitable angled positions, making it practical for different helm layouts.

360° Rotating Memory Ring

One of the Silva 85E's useful navigation features is its 360° rotating memory ring.

The ring can be adjusted to mark a desired heading, giving the helmsman a visual reference when maintaining a selected course.

This is useful during recreational cruising and sailing when steering a consistent magnetic heading.

The memory ring is a reference aid and does not automatically compensate for magnetic variation, deviation, wind or current.

Three Lubber Lines for Flexible Viewing

The Silva 85E incorporates three lubber lines, allowing the compass to be read from different positions.

The arrangement includes:

• A central lubber line

• Two angled side-view lubber lines

• Viewing options suited to different steering positions

This design is especially useful on smaller sailing vessels where the helmsman may move from one side of the cockpit to the other.

It can also help when the compass is installed in a position that is not directly in front of the steering seat.