What Does Magnetic Compass Adjustment Cost?
A conventional magnetic compass adjustment typically costs €600–700 per attendance, plus the adjuster's travel. A remote adjustment with Northy costs €550 per vessel, or €495 per vessel for fleets of ten or more, with nothing added on top.
That is the short answer. The longer one matters because the fee on the adjuster's quote is rarely the whole cost.
What you pay for with a conventional swing
The quote usually shows one line: the adjuster's fee. Around €600–700 is common. The rest arrives later, on other invoices.
Travel. Flights, a hotel, local transport, sometimes a launch to reach a ship at anchor. Adjusters are few, so the nearest one is often not near.
Timing. The adjuster has to be where the ship is, when the ship is there. Fleets commonly wait two to three weeks for a slot. Meanwhile the ship sails, and the job moves to the next port and the next country.
Re-attendance. If the schedule slips, the weather closes in or the swing cannot be finished during the call, you pay for another visit.
None of this shows on the first quote, but all of it is real.
What remote adjustment costs
Northy's prices are published and fixed.
There is no travel, no attendance fee and no launch. The crew does the physical work on board, guided step by step on a phone. Northy calculates the correction. A licensed adjuster reviews the results and signs.
And one condition that changes the risk: certified sign-off, or you don't pay.
What is included
For one price per vessel:
Remote adjustment, guided step by step for the crew
Review and sign-off by a licensed compass adjuster
Deviation card and certificate to ISO 25862, meeting SOLAS V/19 and IMO A.382(X)
Validity of two years, with QR verification any inspector can check
Unlimited re-swings during the certificate's validity
Certificate issued the same day the crew submits the readings
The last two points matter more than they look. Unlimited re-swings mean that dry dock, welding near the bridge or a new piece of equipment beside the binnacle does not mean a new invoice. And a certificate on the same day means the adjustment fits the ship's schedule, not the other way round.
A simple comparison over two years
Take a fleet of ten vessels, each needing one adjustment in a two-year cycle, which is the normal interval (more on how often a compass must be swung).
The fee difference is the smallest part of it. The travel line and the waiting line are where the real money goes.
When a conventional swing still makes sense
We would rather you order the right thing than the cheaper thing.
If your flag administration or a charterer specifically requires an adjuster in attendance, check with them before ordering a remote adjustment. Most accept a correctly signed certificate, and we explain whether remote adjustment is accepted in detail. But the person asking is the one whose answer counts.
Everything else, the deviation card on the bulkhead and what the deviation card must show, is the same either way. The certificate is the certificate.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a magnetic compass adjustment cost? A conventional attendance usually costs €600–700 plus the adjuster's travel. Remote adjustment with Northy costs €550 per vessel, or €495 per vessel for fleets of ten or more.
Are there any extra costs with remote adjustment? No. There is no travel, attendance fee or launch. Re-swings during the certificate's validity are included.
How long is the certificate valid? Two years, in line with ISO 25862. It carries a QR code that inspectors can verify.
What does the vessel need? An email address for the account, a crew member to follow the guided steps, safe water to steer through the required headings, and internet access to submit the readings.
How fast is the certificate issued? The same day the crew submits the readings.
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To order, or to see how the service works, visit our remote compass adjustment page.