Sextants. Where are they now?

[simonjinks]

Where have all the old used sextants gone? I begrudgingly sold mine a few years back to get on the property ladder, but i'm finding it damn hard to replace. Any suggestions?

 

[Chris_Stannard]

There is a mairine antique shop in Hamble, up the hill from the square and set back from the road on the left as you are going in to Hamble. you can often find a sextant in there.

Chris Stannard

 

[AndrewB]

I'm sure you know that most 'antique' sextants are useless for sights, they have warped or bent frames. As all celestial navigation books point out, a sextant has to be handled with great care, drop it and it's just a heap of scrap metal (or instant 'antique'). Only buy a second-hand sextant if it carries recent certification.

There was a glut of sextants in the 80's as automated positioning systems arrived, presumably from ships officers who were no longer obliged to use them. Now alas second hand ones have become hard to find. And only a very few new types are still being made.

 

[webcraft]

I bought a new Astra IIIB from

http://www.navastro-boutique.com/

It's a French company, was the cheapest I could find on the web and gave very good service.

Now I've just got to find time to learn to use it!

- Nick

BlueMoment.Com
http://www.bluemoment.com

 

[simonjinks]

As you say it all comes down to how they have been cared for. I've used an old palm size WW2 German submariners sextant a KH from the same era and my old Zeiss. I just find paying out four times the price of a GPS a bit galling, to keep ones hand in.

 

[simonjinks]

Ah, the Compass adjusters next to the Indian. thanks i'll give them a go.

 

[simonjinks]

Yes, thankyou. Were they the old heavy Russian ones that were quite good but disappeared a few years back when the wall came tumbling down

 

[jtwebb]

I have a plastic one made by EBCO which I think is East Berkshire Boat Company. It is good enough for practice and emergency! It is far better than the Davis plastic one. As far as I remember the price for the De Luxe version was about £60 from EBCO direct and they were far cheaper than the chandlers who also sell it. I got mine when I did the Yachtmaster Oceon theory but have never had time to do the practical!

J Webb

 

[webcraft]

It's the Chinese Astra

- Nick

BlueMoment.Com
http://www.bluemoment.com

 

[AndrewB]

Keeping your hand in.

If your aim is practical rather than aesthetic, as jtwebb recommends, go with plastic rather than metal. Not as accurate perhaps nor as long lasting. But perfectly adequate for keeping your hand in, or as an emergency backup to GPS. And costs less than a quarter of a metal one. Can you really justify £500+?

My Davis 15 got us across Biscay a few years back, though it's now so worn than the index error won't hold constant.

 

[simonjinks]

Thanks for the pointers. I've had varying degrees of success with the plastic type so i'll keep looking for a metal one.

 

[simonjinks]

Re: Keeping your hand in.

Yes, I've had varying degrees of success with plastic. That's why i'll keep looking for a metal one - however i cannot justify £500 (the price of 4-5 GPS sets) so it must be used - there'll be one out there somewhere -

 

[Boatman]

Re: Keeping your hand in.

Try postiing for a secondhand Astra IIIB many new users bought them only to have them gather dust in the cuboard, but the issue of care is very very important and they should be checked,you never know if someone wants to sell maybe any update check could be included in the price.

Happy hunting

 

[simonjinks]

Re: Keeping your hand in.

They're certainly staying elusive in these posts!