NavList:

I did try to post a follow up to my original post but it seems to have gone walkabout. Anyway here are some of my observations. The bridge on the QM2 is totally enclosed, including bridge wings. If the navigator wanted to use celestial he would have to go up one deck to get outside and even then would have to climb yet another structure to get a view of the sky and horizon. Meanwhile the ship is moving at 20 knots. Just not practical. On my own little boat I do use a sextant because I just like it and it gives me a confidence that I never have had in electronics. Nevertheless. I must confess that when I sail on other people's boats I'm happy to let them do it all with chart plotters and GPS and would be reluctant to even mention celestial. The reason for this is because fewer and fewer sailors know how to do it and parading such knowledge may make one seem a know all. Regarding sextant use on small boats, over the years I have used 4 and hands down the easiest of them has been a Tamaya Venus with a whole horizon mirror. It has large mirrors yet is light enough so as not to feel like an anchor when hanging from a neck lanyard. One last comment about sigh reduction. I love the ones I'v played around with on the iPhone or calculator but I find the yellow tinted pages of 249 tend to make me less nauseated and are easier to see outside in the sunlight. If I must go below just to be able to see a screen, at least for the first few days. forget it.
Nial


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