Brass Ship Wheel Compass 18"

With the amazing history of both the ship’s wheel and the compass, this antique compass for sale truly delves into the depths of nautical lore. By the beginning of the 13^th century the European dry compass was created, and by the second half of the century the antique compass was used throughout Europe and the Mediterranean, leading to a dramatic increase in trade. A key to the creation of the first Portolan Charts, maps with realistic depictions of European coastlines, the antique marine compass helped usher in the Age of Discovery. Following the dispersion of the antique compass throughout Europe, and combined with these charts and advances in shipbuilding, from the early 15^th century through the 17^th century European powers expanded across the globe. Following the amazing impact of the antique compass, the early 18^th century saw the ship’s wheel transform sailing. Before the wheel, whipstaffs and tillers were used to manipulate the rudder in a somewhat counterintuitive manner. The earliest known ship’s wheel, circa 1700, England, represented a new chapter in sailing as it was designed to turn the rudder in the same direction as the wheel. Unlike the whipstaff or tiller, turning the wheel to starboard resulted in the ship’s bow pointing to starboard. The ship’s wheel was a true revolution for the world; the engineering behind it not only helped usher in the Age of Enlightenment and the discovery of the world by sea, but with modern adaptations it remains a fixture aboard the most amazing cruise ships the world has ever seen, as well as becoming a standard fixture you see in any automobile.