Purchasing a sextant


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Sonia Johal
Sonia Johal
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Daria Blackwell - 6 Sep 2015
John, beware of buying sextants on eBay and amazon. Many are replicas made in India intended for decoration in personal libraries that have now entered the market as the real deal. The most reliable dealer for sextants is Celestaire.

The Astra IIIB and the Tamaya are top notch. We have one of each. Bought one from Celestaire the other via eBay. We 've used them to take noon sites but now they are pretty much gathering dust. Nevertheless, we still take them with us when crossing oceans just in case (having been struck by lightning on a previous boat we know what can happen to electronics). We also have Mary Blewitt 's book, a pocket computer that has a perpetual almanac in it, and Star Finder 2102-D, which are very useful accessories. Good luck.

Why not post a note in the eBulletin and in the for sale section of the forum to see if any member would want to part with theirs? Where are you located?





SEXTANT EXPERT FOR CALIBRATION
CERTIFICATION


Hello Team OCC,

Please would you recommend a “Sextant Expert” who is qualified to inspect and provide calibration certification?

My Google isn’t helping and I failed to find the relevant forum article.

I’m currently on the Isle of Wight, studying for my Yachtmaster Ocean and have purchased a Tamaya 1712.

Grateful for your input and advice.

Fair winds,


Sonia
SY Salacia
Jonathan Flack
Jonathan Flack
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I have the Cassens & Plath my father bought me when I graduated high school almost 40 years ago.  It's a beautifully made instrument, and I'd say that the German made instruments from the 60's, 70's and 80-'s are the equal of any new instrument. 

A friend recently purchased an identical instrument of similar vintage, and once we had the perpendicularity, side, and index error adjusted (fairly trivial adjustments), it was every bit as good as mine.  If you can find a good one, I wouldn't hesitate to buy a similar age C&P.
Jonathan Flack
Jonathan Flack
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Sonia Johal - 9 Nov 2022
Daria Blackwell - 6 Sep 2015
John, beware of buying sextants on eBay and amazon. Many are replicas made in India intended for decoration in personal libraries that have now entered the market as the real deal. The most reliable dealer for sextants is Celestaire.

The Astra IIIB and the Tamaya are top notch. We have one of each. Bought one from Celestaire the other via eBay. We 've used them to take noon sites but now they are pretty much gathering dust. Nevertheless, we still take them with us when crossing oceans just in case (having been struck by lightning on a previous boat we know what can happen to electronics). We also have Mary Blewitt 's book, a pocket computer that has a perpetual almanac in it, and Star Finder 2102-D, which are very useful accessories. Good luck.

Why not post a note in the eBulletin and in the for sale section of the forum to see if any member would want to part with theirs? Where are you located?





SEXTANT EXPERT FOR CALIBRATION
CERTIFICATION


Hello Team OCC,

Please would you recommend a “Sextant Expert” who is qualified to inspect and provide calibration certification?

My Google isn’t helping and I failed to find the relevant forum article.

I’m currently on the Isle of Wight, studying for my Yachtmaster Ocean and have purchased a Tamaya 1712.

Grateful for your input and advice.

Fair winds,


Sonia
SY Salacia

This is a job you can, and should do for yourself, because these corrections should be checked routinely.  Search for instruction on youtube for Side, Perpendicularly, and index error correction. 

Absent that, Robert White is the goto person in the US for sextant restoration, and repair.  https://www.robertwhite.com/
Sonia Johal
Sonia Johal
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Posts: 89, Visits: 1
Thank you so much 😊
GO

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