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Old 01-20-2013, 09:41 PM   #1
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Default Sextants are Sexy

Hi Everybody,

I just joined the forum today. I don't have a boat yet - raising some loot to secure the dream but been kicking about boats, rivers and the sea most my life.

So, I wanted to share something that was on BBC Radio 4 this weekend - sorry if someone has already done this.

There was a cool guy - Commodore Mark Wiggins - talking about his Sextant - a nice walk down memory lane for the chap talking - I love hearing story's from people reminiscing.

BBC - Podcasts and Downloads - Saturday Live

http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/...0119-1112a.mp3

I was reading the feed about sextants - this radio piece inspired me to get one and learn it.

All the best
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Old 01-21-2013, 02:29 AM   #2
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One of the nifty things to do with a sextant only arrives occasionally. During a solar eclipse, pull down all the filters and watch the eclipse. I still shoot a noon sight whenever I am offshore just for the fun of it. Although I admit to using a computer programme today rather than working out the plot using sight reduction tables.

Nothing is more evocative of the golden age of marine exploration...and nothing brings out piratespeak...more than playing with a sextant.

Aaahhhhaaugh Jim lad, it be a sextant; that it be......
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Old 01-21-2013, 09:55 AM   #3
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Shiver me timbers and scraffle me grodkins! I do like speaking like a pirate.

Thursday Sept 13, 2013 is international Talk Like A Pirate day, did you know?
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Old 01-22-2013, 08:31 PM   #4
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They are very expensive - whats the best ultra cheap one - any ideas?
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Old 01-22-2013, 10:24 PM   #5
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Most chandleries in Oz still sell the Davis range of sextants. They are fine instruments and, on a yacht, they are highly practical as the fibre plastic they are made from is light and easily managed on a moving deck. They range in price from about $200 to $400 and are accurate, easily read, wont deteriorate in salty, humid conditions and, again, are very light. I have had a David Mk25 for years and could not imagine a better set up.
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Old 02-06-2013, 03:51 PM   #6
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... there even is a Mark 3 Sextant by Davis
Actually it is a training sextant, but a nice intrument to start with at only about 60 USD and if you can live with the possibility to end up some more miles off your true position because it does not have the worm adjustment with a vernier scale with a reading to 0,2 minutes, that bringst the accuracy down to 0,1 natical mile. Thoretically, and only at a dead calm sea.
So, under more realistic conditions I found the results I got with the MARK 3 not too bad...

An if it comes to the decision to invest in a high end model, the Mark 3 makes a perfect spare stowed away in a locker that does not need any attention as all metal sextants need to keep them from corroding...

Uwe
SY Aquaria
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