Davis Sextants

[Skylark]

I have just moved up from an Ebbco - here's a tip for the plastic sextant users that worked for me. When you take a sight, do 5 quick 'shots' and average the results.

That’s good practice for all sun sights, not just when using a plastic sextant.

Take half a dozen or so over an approx 10 minute period. Plot the results and draw a best fit straight line. Pick any Hs and Time from the line.

Plotting the sights allows you to see at a glance any that are clearly wrong, that should be ignored.

 

[janyon]

The 15 and 20 are "proper" ones. The 3 looks like a learning tool only. Very few people will know what they need when buying so go for the cheap proper one. This is the whole reason they make a range, so you're happy with the one in the middle!

I would like to buy a sextant for my husband who has become interested in sailing and need guidance. Cost is a concern but I don't want to choose a piece of junk. I totally support my spouse's interest but in the matter of gear -- I'm at sea and would appreciate any advice.

 

[lustyd]

If money is an issue go for the mk 3 as he will almost certainly never use it for navigation. I have the 15 which has everything you’d need for real nav and is not crazy money. I’d recommend the Tippecanoe videos on YouTube for learning, the books are hopeless and explain everything the wrong way around which means getting bored before learning anything. Unfortunately owning a sextant is one of those things sailors crave despite knowing it won’t be all that useful so it’s a great present to give ?

 

[laika]

I would like to buy a sextant for my husband who has become interested in sailing and need guidance. Cost is a concern but I don't want to choose a piece of junk. I totally support my spouse's interest but in the matter of gear -- I'm at sea and would appreciate any advice.

If money is an issue go for the mk 3 as he will almost certainly never use it for navigation. I have the 15 which has everything you’d need for real nav and is not crazy money.

Kind of a tough one because whilst you're probably right, the Davis Mk. 3 (I assume you don't mean the astra 3) is hardly a gift to cherish. We're in agreement about the mk 15. It's plastic and hardly an heirloom to pass down through generations but it does the job. Cheapest I can google in the UK is £189 at Stanfords which is a huge difference from the £269 Force 4 are charging.

Next step up and commonly available new here without going to ebay would probably be the astra IIIB at £700-ish in the UK. Note that you could join the RYA with family membership, buy it from the rya store with the member's discount and membership + sextant cost would still make it cheaper than anywhere else I've seen advertised new in the UK recently.

On top of sextant cost there's an almanac (annual recurring cost ~£25) and if you choose to use the method taught by the RYA there's additional tables which cost £60 for the full set. I'm sure someone can point you to an online resource, but if you want to use astro in anger you'll probably want the books on your bookshelf.

If your husband has recently become interested in sailing I'd say save your money for now unless you just want to end up with a very expensive ornament. Astronavigation is generally only useful on ocean passages (ie not just nipping across the channel) and then only by a dwindling number of enthusiasts. Sextants have other uses in coastal navigation but ones few people employ. There's plenty of other practical boaty presents to buy including any number of courses. If he's about to depart on an ocean crossing that's a different story. Given the outlay involved, maybe print a picture of a sextant, put it in an envelope as an IOU and choose together?