Hi there.

It's well worth the effort to permanantly mount a compass. I've done a couple of boats this way. The boat in back is a Pygmy Coho with the same peaked deck as the Tern. It's not particularly hard to do, though not as simple as shaping a mounting block.

What recessing gets you is the ability to lay the boat upside down without it resting on the compass.

Pete Roszyk,
in Snohomish