Chinese Maritime Compass Approaches Practical Use

1090

Building on Shen Kuo's description of the magnetized needle, Song mariners and instrument-makers began experimenting with compass devices for open-sea navigation. The dry-pivot compass - a needle mounted on a small post rather than floated on water - offered stability in rough seas that earlier designs could not match. Within two decades, Chinese ships would carry compasses as standard equipment, freeing navigators from dependence on visible stars and transforming Indian Ocean trade forever.