NavList:
A Community Devoted to the Preservation and Practice of Celestial Navigation and Other Methods of Traditional Wayfinding
From: Al Stewart
Date: 2022 Jun 3, 09:35 -0700
Hello NavList!
Hope that someone here can share a scan copy of the manual shown in attached picture.... also looking for scan copy of original manual / instructions for SIMEX sextants.
I have two "Tamaya-like" full-size sextants in hand - a 1971 "Simex Mariner", and a 1975 "International Nautical" - both with bronze rack bonded to alloy frame, variable polarizing filters, round half-silvered horizon mirror and scope bracket with v-groove above the stud (i.e. not compatible with current accessory scopes from Celestaire, etc.).
Over the past two years, I have been looking at the various ones advertised online (on Ebay etc.) and found several different names / brand labels including "Hope", "Karak", "M.A.C." (Measure All Co.), "Moji", "Nautech", "Oaklet", "Saura", "Sun Prince", "Tama Sokki", "Undator", "Yamatar"... even "Sestrel" (for Henry Browne & Son Ltd, UK)! All seem to have been produced during the 1960's-1980's.
They all are based on same original Plath design, and are also similar to the "Tamaya" label sextant models "Regulus I / II", "Capella"...
I would love to find out who really manufactured these various sextants, and why Tamaya offered and then abandoned that line of products.
