Ebbco Sextant

[Thistle]

Hi!

I've just bought a secondhand Ebbco sextant as a learning tool / toy but the intructions are missing. Can anyone lend me a copy for a short time, please?

Thanks in advance.

Ian

 

[Searush]

Get a copy of Mary Blewitt's excellent manual on navigation. I think it may be on the Gutenberg Project web site for free download as an e-book.

AFAIK, the Ebbco is used exactly like any other sextant, it is just a bit more susceptible to some forms of errors such as temerature changes causing expansion/ contraction & limited accuracy of moulding vs machining.

 

[bilbobaggins]

It also flexes immoderately when gripped in the hand, leading to further significant error. Optimally, you need someone competent to show you how, and what to avoid doing. There are hundreds of dissatisfied 'self-taught' yachties out there, but that's not how it was done in the Age of Sail. One had a mentor - and that works well......

/forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif

 

[Thistle]

I agree wholeheartedly that a good teacher is the way to go but, at the moment, I don't want to invest a lot of time (or ££) in something I'm never likely to use in anger. Hence the choice of a "toy" like the Ebbco - I'm never going to need to rely on it to keep me out of trouble. Following answers to an earlier query on the forum I've got myself Cunliffe's little book and some material downloaded from the internet. Together they should give me the level of information I need at the moment about the theory.

I am presuming that the Ebbco booklet will have some Ebbco-specific information, for example, care and maintenance details. Does it also, perhaps, try to quantify the level of error due to the flimsy construction and materials used? It's for that kind of information I'm - still - looking for a copy.

Anyone got a copy they can lend me?

Thanks.

Ian

 

[Andrew_Fanner]

Can scan one up but its very tatty. PM as a reminder this weekend as I have a houseful of guests.

It will be as graphics not text as my OCR function has failed, until Mr Dell sorts it out as its his fault.

 

[doug748]

If Andrew has problems PM me your address. I am sure I have a copy somewhere. Brian.

 

[Thistle]

Andrew, any thanks. I'll do as requested.

Ian

 

[FAITIRA]

Good luck with it when you get the distructions, I found mine amazingly accurate, I was necessary to keep a good check on index error as the mirrors are easily moved accidently. I have a Sewills which is obviously better but the ebbco was a good back up til some B*****D nicked it, with a lot of other stuff in La Cedeira Spain.

 

[jwilson]

Agreed - an Ebbco can be more than accurate enough for real navigation. I have used one in earnest, and as long as you hold it carefully so as not to flex the frame and check index error before and after each sight, I used to get very good results.

I eventually bought an old 'real' sextant with better optics because my eyes were getting worse as the wallet got better, and the Ebbco optics are pretty rubbish. OK with young eyes.