Choosing a sextant with Tom Cunliffe
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- Опубліковано 26 вер 2024
- This video (copyright Tom Cunliffe 2021) is about the mechanics of a marine sextant and how to choose one in light of properly sifted knowledge. If you’re interested in all things maritime and the salty road to freedom, you'll enjoy my channel, so pour yourself a glass of the finest and settle down to explore the list.
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Welcome on board!
Tom
Copyright Tom Cunliffe 2020
Tom is one of the best, experienced and seasoned sailors. An incredibly knowledgeable British man.
You know somebody is a true master of their field when they can explain something in a way that anyone can grasp, that inspires them to take action, and spurs their thirst for more knowledge. Thank you sir.
I've just been puttering along in my humdrum and then steaming out of the gloom comes another classic TC YT vid. Just the right thing to break the tedium and raise ones spirits. Thank you Mr Cunliffe!
Dear Tom: I've been a fan since long before the Internet. I was, and still am, taken with your proper British sailing terms and idioms--though I'm a Yank--and your down to earth good nature. I did a circumnavigation 20 years ago. Although I had some practice in celestial navigation, by that time, GPS was just much more convenient. Nonetheless, we had three sextants aboard with the requisite reference volumes, just in case. I understand Annapolis has resumed celestial requirements now that the GPS system has been hacked. We had a very fine metal Tamaya, one of Davis' more expensive plastic ones, and also their cheap model which lived in the crash bag. I'm not sure I ever successfully took a star sight, because to use the sextant I had to either wear or not wear my glasses, and both options were less than optimal. I dunno, maybe I did. Anyway, I took many moon and sun sights. My accuracy was never first-rate, like your exemplary star sight, but I like to think it was good enough. I always thought, if I can get within even five miles, I'll see land and can use coastal piloting; and if I can't see it I'll stand off until I can. Anyway, I'm still alive. I always look forward to your videos and view them with great pleasure. They are an affirmation and celebration of the noble and ancient arts of the seaman.
Thanks for your kind words. You're dead right. Five miles will get you in and that's the main thing. Who caryou
I’ve got a second hand astra in very good condition, probably not as good and lasting as a plath freiberger or tamaya but they are all metal and do the job just fine. Unbeatable quality/cost ratio. I went ahead and designed a holding ring to fit a soviet era 7x50 monocular to it, its kind of bulky but it improves precision a lot when taking star sights. I have to get around to write an article about it as it might be interesting to other astronav fans out there.
Thanks for the video Tom. Always top notch.
Cheers
Bruno
I have a 1952 brass Plath (yes, it still wasn't Cassens & Plath) sextant. Works like a champ, some lube every few years and still points me out in the chart with precision. GPS is wonderful and safe, but I like the fact that my position is "written in the stars".
The best cover off of the art of celestial I have ever seen on the internet. Along with sound and practical advice on what to get !!
Interesting! I had to take my old sextant down from the shelf. Certified in London May 12th 1922. Made in Liverpool. Used it 40 years ago.
Tom, I have the same sextant. Mine was made 9/20/1945 and is in excellent condition. The light even still works! I got it on eBay for about $200. I'm not great with math, but I fully plan to utilize this fine old instrument at sea. So I just bought your book. Thanks for all you do!
Always fantastic advice Tom. I think Zeiss optics are the absolute best. Rare, but worth the investment. Singer used to sell sewing machine oil that works well we have a little left on board. But I guess 3 in 1 is probably OK after wiping away the excess? Our calibration certificate says correct at 20 degrees C so as you say a good box and hands never on the quadrant. Like a micrometer, hand heat makes inaccuracy. Your book is brilliant! An absolute must on board, along with your weather book, chanel pilot etc, etc. Crossing to Tunisia in the next few days. A red lamp and a good book for the night watch all ready to go. Sail Safe mate. Ant, Cid & the pooch crew.
Would strongly recommend anybody getting a Davis plastic sextant for around about 50 pounds to try things out before better purchase I used one quite a lot when doing a celestial navigation course results were not very dissimilar to a high-end model the only real difference is to the Optics are so much better on the better models and are easier to use
As always my friend, outstanding!! but i have to say... I find myself wondering off to the fine young lady on the motorcycle!
Brilliant!
A joy to listen to. Inspiring stuff.
And now I'm trawling online for a beautiful bit if kit. Love your videos Tom. All the best.
Thank you Sir for this video! I have recently acquired a hand-me-down 1918 sextant in good knick and looking forward to messing with it! Bought your book - you and your entire crew deserve high accolade for this knowledge-sharing! See you out there! ~__/)__*
I still have my old, 1970’s Heath, still keep it working, heading offshore from Florida to Newport in a week and it will be my working backup....daily I hope! Thx, good episode! Andrew
Thank you for sharing…
If its not already in the comments the ones that dont have a split mirror employ a partially silvered mirror so you have a reflection and can also see thru it. You are correct it also as a result attenuates the light.
Tom, you must have read my mind, thanks, timely
Tom you are just a master at this. Wonderful, amusing, yet packed with your wisdom and experience. As ever you banish the clouds, metaphorical, or, with your weak mirror shade, real.
Hi Tom I really loved this video. Nothing more to say really. Thanks Mike
I don't sail. I have no intention of ever sailing. But I do like your videos! Honest, direct and informative and entertaining. I feel like I learn something every time I watch.
You should sail. Might open your horizons 🤷♂️
Tom, thanks for making your wisdom and knowledge so accessable. Cheers from Washington State!
Brilliant video. Got your book 17 years ago!. Thank you for making it simple.
Greetings from Greenwich London ⚓️⛵️ 👍
where it all began :-)
So much respect for your old school attitude, I remember you as an examiner when I worked on the Hamble in the 90s
Thanks for sharing your wisdom Tom, great advise to a new celestial navigator.
I’m so relieved to discover a world famous yachtsman who admits he’s not good at maths. I feel there’s a chance for me at last! 😃😃🍷
what a legend.
Sensible advice, I hadn't thought about the case in that way either!
I like your workshop all the tools of the Stilson wrench handrills the braces, reminds me of my father’s old shop Except his wasn’t as clean
7:27 "If you damage it and drop it over the side, or brain the mate with it or something, it's not the end of the world" - Conjures up images of unexplained disappearances explained by a mate being brained with the sextant and a subsequent shipwreck!
Excellent. Thanks for taking some of the mystery out of this weird, but wonderful looking, instrument.
Excellent video takes me back a few years.
Thanks much. It should be mentioned that most of those “antique sextants” on Amazon and eBay are just replicas suitable for displaying on book shelves and desks , but are not meant to be used for navigation. I’m aware of only one brand of plastic sextants. Many of us start with a Davis Sextant because of the expense of metal sextants. I found the plastic sextant to be very frustrating as it needed recalibration for each sight. I wound up buying a second hand, lightly used, rebranded Astra IIIb for $300 from a Indian ship salvager. It’s wonderful.
Thanks Tom ... that was a good one.
Regards Jarle.
Good Wednesday afternoon to you sir from Wellington Somerset
I love your channel, thank you for sharing your knowledge.⚓️
I too ended up having to "teach myself" celestial navigation! The courses in school were nearly worthless!
I enjoy your videos immensely, but I have trouble with your audio quality. It is somehow muffled.
Are you able to improve it?
Thanks for what you do, JIM
A Bris sextant should also be in every sailor's kit.
love ur vids
Very enjoyable - thank you. An ironic thought crossed my mind that one could take a reference snapshot of the sextant quadrant / vernier dial prior to packing it away - with of course a (gps-enabled) mobile phone!
Great idea. Sing ho for the modern world!!!
Once I took part in old salts yachtsmen party who where talking about sextant and what is a proper one. Finally, after a couple of shots of vodka, they decided that it is good to hold their glass tumblers its frame when lying on the desk in a rocking on waves boat. I see yours and I think these might fit, too. Cheers! :)
Hi Tom great video. You might want to have a look at the almost forgotten astrolabs that Arabic saylors have used in the middleages. Beautiful piece of naval history. I think that would he to your liking at least as a piece to review.
So an accurate measurement that the Sun is indeed over the yard!!
brilliant stuff Tom.
If Tom had been around when sextants came out I'd put money that he'd bitch about the newfangled way of doing things being unneeded because observing wave patterns, winds, and wildlife should be enough for anyone. It worked for years.
Good point Benjamin, although I wasn't aware I was bitching. Sorry if it seemed that way. My yacht bristles with electronics!
Are you saying he is 290 years old? Lol.
Just bought your book and am indeed 'in the market', as they say, for a sextant. I'm 69 years old, but dreaming big!
I love it when I'm on the water and coastguard comes over channel 16 announcing the GPS satellites are down... Has that happened to anyone lately? They are always fighting the last war ... And never realize that what's old is new again and nothing new under the sun! Like carrier pigeons & falconry in Afghanistan & Iraq.
Astro-navigation tells you where you are on the ocean, not which side of the table you are sitting at. Sextants don't bring you into a port.
Longitude tells you how far east or west you are.
Latitude tells you how far north or south you are.
Altitude tells you how far up you are.
And Attitude tells you if you're getting dinner tonight.
Love TC's videos so interesting!
Thank you sir!
I have this awesome German model Trommel Freiburg with Carl Zeiss lenses. Sold to me by some drunken brother of an ex special forces soldier for $50 not even 5 years ago. The joker didn’t know what it was and told me it was a surveying gizmo. I just nodded and shoved $50 in his hand and smiled 🤣
Nice one Tom
Damn good advice, thank you.
Thanks!
Greetings from Nova Scotia. Thanks for your very interesting video. I do enjoy watching them all. By the way,
is that a heavenly body I see on your shed wall !?
👍!!thank you
Would have been better if a modern metal sextant was reviewed
Excellent. My husband and I have sailed during the summer (Canada) for 13 years. He retires next year and we sold our 36' and will be buying a larger one to leave and sail for 3 years more or less. A sextant is his Christmas gift this year. Are there any particular brands that you could recommend? I also purchased your book.
hi Paula Sorry to be slow returning your message. I get rather a lot you see. As to choosing a sextant, it depends on the depth of your pocket. A good plastic one from Davis is about £300 (avoid the cheapies). or you can go for a Freiburger or an Astra at c£600 and hand it down to your grandchildren...
Is there any chance that You could explain some of the technical sailing orders issued by Horatio Hornblower in the books.
Tom where have you been? How are you doing? Great to get a video again.
Could we get a close up of the Velocette?
How come all the muppets on UA-cam blogging how awesome they are, don’t have one? 😂
great! 'riging doctor' used a sextant when they crossed to the caribbean recently. their videos haven't caught up yet so i don't know how accurate he was.
using the sextant on its own just gives you your longitude? what do you use for the latitude?
His navigation was spot on. Love that channel on YT, very informative.
The sextant alone gives latitude... You need a clock for longitude. Don't ask me how though!
Strictly speaking, the sextant only gives you an angle. It is the tables (almanac) of the planets, stars, sun and moon together with a clock that give you a position with both latitude and longitude. The only exception is the pole star - it only gives latitude.
We got the videos. Therefore they didn't die and made it to their destination. That's got to be close enough for Jazz, right? It's like if you get there alive you pass. The sea is there to kill people. It's been doing it for years. It's not an A to F grading. It's very much a pass or fail.
Latitude comes from time keeping given that we know planet earth spins at 15 degrees of longitude per hour. There’s a nice spherical trigonometry equation to solve for longitude, or there are printed tables based on this equation you can look up certain values. Then you just do a bit of algebra, and you have a line of position. Fairly easy but time consuming and not something you would attempt in a hurry when you’re blowing towards a reef
Nothing to do with sex😅🤣😅
Thanks for video- learned alot
Hope you didn't watch the whole video to figure that out!
Tom, to be fair, that Southampton course was probably right in starting with the theory - you do so in your book too! Enjoyed the video and best regards as ever! PS - I agree that the plastic sextants are good for the sun and the moon but not really for planets and stars, well just too difficult!
What a wonderfully interesting and illuminating video, thank you Tom.