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Old 20-02-2010, 16:09   #106
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Now come on Daddle, stop throwing wet sticks in the campfire....
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Old 20-02-2010, 16:25   #107
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Obviously you are using outdated charts. Otherwise you'd see the fire.
-dan
I think I found it! Near the edge of the chart, right under "There Be Dragons"!
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Old 21-02-2010, 09:14   #108
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... a sextant and chronometer ... a hobby....
... Bug forget it for backup navigation....
... foolish as a backup....
... Sailors of old didn't use a sextant as backup....
... It won't be accurate enough to avoid reefs....
... Useless...
... the sextant is a useless relic.
Well, this is your opinion, reflecting your sailing experience and your set of skills.

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Old 25-02-2010, 05:37   #109
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i have decided to purchase a sextant,to be truthfull my wife has offered to buy me one for my B/day.

my reasons for obtaining a sextant are few,mainly to use it as a back up system for my electronics and i intend to learn how to do the calcs both with a calculator and the old fashoned way.I aslo feel that there is a nostalgic element to my decision,a sextant is part of maritime history.As sailors we utilise what is s very old form of propulsion and for me its all an extension of being part of nature.
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Old 25-02-2010, 05:49   #110
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I am not the only person here who has a very pretty - but strictly decorative - sextant adorning the mantle in my den, a gift from my lovely wife. She bought it through an internet dealer whose fine print stated "not for navigation". Therefore, I strongly advise you to guide her in the purchase and keep her away from "Stanley of London". A $200 plastic Davis is far more useful than a $350 copy of an antique Plath that could not help you find your way to the bathroom (but looks really cool on the mantle).
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Old 25-02-2010, 06:01   #111
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bastonjock View Post
i have decided to purchase a sextant,to be truthfull my wife has offered to buy me one for my B/day.

my reasons for obtaining a sextant are few,mainly to use it as a back up system for my electronics and i intend to learn how to do the calcs both with a calculator and the old fashoned way.I aslo feel that there is a nostalgic element to my decision,a sextant is part of maritime history.As sailors we utilise what is s very old form of propulsion and for me its all an extension of being part of nature.
ooooh, isn't that soooo romantic
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Old 25-02-2010, 07:11   #112
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I bought a good Cassens Plath off of Ebay for $450, there's no sense in buying retail. Just be careful who you buy from and don't go for the shiny brass mantel units!
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Old 25-02-2010, 08:21   #113
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thanks for the tips guys,my wife has already put me in charge of buying my sextant,my good wife is a consultant in computer systems but a complete novice when it comes to things nautical.

ive been looking at a few sextants on e-bay,the bargain plaths are no longer,why would someone pay 750 gbpounds for a second hand plath when you can buy a new one for 500 gb pounds?
there are plenty of brass ones but read the fine print and they are "reproductions"

Ive got my eye on a few of them,ones that i consider that may be worth bidding for
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Old 25-02-2010, 08:30   #114
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It takes a while for good deals to show up on ebay you've just got to be patient.
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Old 25-02-2010, 09:26   #115
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The best sextant deals I have seen recently were on Craigslist. I use that metacrawler and a few always come up.
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Old 25-02-2010, 09:35   #116
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Pity I did not see your recommendation earlier. I have still to get a sextant, but as a precursor I recently ordered:

Celestial Navigation in the GPS Age by John Karl
Great book.




Regarding the whole issue of carrying a sextant, I like somebody's turn of phrase: "We're only one lightning bolt away from the age of sail." For me, that sums it up.

Sextants offer less utility to the coastal cruiser. But I could not imagine crossing the Pacific without one and knowing how to use it.
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Old 25-02-2010, 10:27   #117
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While I agree that a sextant is a necessary backup for loss of electronics, there are/will be (perhaps prohibitively costly) satellite-based positioning alternatives to the US GPS system. The Russian GLONASS system is available with both standalone and GPS-integrated receivers. Global GLONASS coverage is expected to be restored this year (2010). There's also the EU's Galileo, assuming it's completed (supposedly by 2014). So, in the unlikely event that the US turns off GPS, you may be able to rely on the other data sources.
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Old 25-02-2010, 10:35   #118
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Alternatives ... yes, sure BUT not with our existing hardware ...
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Old 25-02-2010, 10:42   #119
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Oh yeah I'd rely on a Russian based GPS system! the point of this thread is to develop multidimensional navigational capability but I myself will never rely on what I'd describe as flaky Russian technology. I think they'd definitely degrade their signal that's available publicly.
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Old 25-02-2010, 11:15   #120
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I don't know. I have never been able to get a good sight on any of those man made satalites. They move too fast. The error between sight and time seems too big. I guess if I got a new sextant with a stopwatch type feture things might work better. I also think any of the systems would be greatly improved if they used colored lights or something for better identification. Perhaps the Russians will think of that. No matter what, I haven't got one of those gps things to give me their possition. Does anyone know where to get the tables for those manmade satelites? The natural ones have been figured out and published for centuries...
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