NavList:

   

Reply

Hi Doug and All,

As Doug suggested, I went to the archives between January and maybe April,
and found a couple of threads in which I would liked to have participated.
Coast Navigation and Prop walk. Prop walk I would have much to say about. I
never did find Doug's reference. I will go back and look some more. But
here's some of the memories the archives brought back.

First, let's talk a little bit about the MS 733 Spica since I was in on its
design, and represented Tamaya & Co's interests in the U.S. from 1972 to
Nov, 1978 when I sold Nautech Maritime Corporation to Coast Navigation which
by then had moved to Annapolis. I had seen the handwriting on the wall with
SATNAV and it was time to fulfill a life long ambition and implemented a
plan I'd had for some time. So my wife and I  went off on six years of ocean
cruising, mostly in the Eastern Caribbean, but also up to New England, the
East coast of the U.S., and then back to the Caribbean in our Bob Perry
designed ketch, Bagheera.

But back to Tamaya. We're still in touch with the Hattori's who were the
owners of Tamaya until maybe the mid 80's. BTW, we were the guests of honor
to celebrate the ground breaking of a new factory in the Tokyo area around
1977. They visited us in Ft. Lauderdale as recently as 1985 which is not so
recent. And Yasuo gifted me with the printing version of the NC 77, maybe
the NC 2000, and two of the new plastic cases. At least once each year, we
communicate, and if they travel to the States we talk by phone.

Earlier this past year, I sold a very special Tamaya-Nautech MS 733 to a
retired Navy CAPT who is the lead in certifying Aegis DD's prior to turnover
to our Navy. That sextant had no markings so that I could use it as a test
instrument to try and secure a Navy contract. Even though the lab and ship
it was sent to gave it exceptional marks, it didn't happen because of "Buy
America".  David White & Co. of Milwaukee got the contract for 250 MK III
sextants. Even in those days sextant sales were no big deal. What was a big
deal was the contract that Nautech received to supply the Navy, Airforce,
and maybe the USCG with NC-2 navigation computers, two each for every
navigator so as to assure redundancy. The USAF, had 5000 naviguessers at the
time. I have my personal MS 733 in storage where its been for many years.
And I mentioned using my NC-2 in one of my ramblings.

Anyhow, the Polaroid filter that Tamaya had available as standard for MS 733
and MS 833 Jupiter, was a cap that fit on the ocular lens of the scope.
There was another polarizing filter that was quite deep in cross section
that was used on some less expensive sextants, but could have been fitted to
a Spica. It had an inner and outer ring, and they could be adjusted to
increase or decrease the effect of the Polirizer. Is that what you have
Doug?

I've been on the Binnacle List since May 2003, and can no longer actively
participate in my various Navy related activities, I went back into the
sextant business after a 28 year absence. I'm happy to report I'm an Astra
III B dealer, and was pleased to hear the ships are using their
discretionary funds to buy some sextants. Doug didn't say if these were Navy
types, but I hope they were. Reading that, I checked, and don't see where
Celestaire offers a Polarizing filter. Maybe something you should ask Ken
Gebhart about. But if you need sextants, NEW or PRE-OWNED see me not Ken.
He's a rich man today having been in the sextant business continuously
longer than anyone. ;-)

Sorry if I bored you,

Joel Jacobs

----- Original Message -----
From: "Royer, Doug" 
To: 
Sent: Friday, January 30, 2004 6:53 PM
Subject: Re: Night shots useing refected light


> Joel,my personal sextant is a Tamaya MS-733 and it always goes to sea with
> me.I ordered and picked it up in Japan many years ago.It has some
customised
> features that a person can get only if ordered and bought in Japan.Look in
> the archives,early to mid '03,as I discribed it and the extras I got.
> Some of the Astra IIIB sextants may also have polarizing shades.I've used
> those while on duty and  recall doing this very thing with one.
> Speaking of the Astra,I was in a local equipment store a few days ago when
a
> Lt. and a Master Chief came in and bought 4 brand new Astras from the
> owner.I asked the M.C. about it and he stated they were being placed on 2
> Navy ships getting ready to deploy for training.$480.00 each.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Navigation Mailing List
> [mailto:NAVIGATION-L@LISTSERV.WEBKAHUNA.COM]On Behalf Of Joel Jacobs
> Sent: Friday, January 30, 2004 15:16
> To: NAVIGATION-L@LISTSERV.WEBKAHUNA.COM
> Subject: Re: Night shots useing refected light
>
>
> Doug,
>
> You may have said earlier which sextant you're using with Polarizing
shades.
> If you did, I missed it?  I've seen some Japanese sextants fitted with
them,
> but know of no others. To the best of my recollection, Tamaya never
offered
> them, at least until 1979.
>
> Joel Jacobs
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Royer, Doug" 
> To: 
> Sent: Friday, January 30, 2004 3:55 PM
> Subject: Night shots useing refected light
>
>
> > Peter,I can't explain what causes the phenominon you described.You are
> right
> > that the true horizon doesn't match the reflection.I've never done one
> from
> > a small vessel so I can't comment on if the height of eye has anything
to
> do
> > with it either.It does appear mostly on those nights when there is
little
> > breeze,seas are calm with clear atmospheric conditions.
> > On nights with the light from a 3/4 to full moon one can make out  the
> > differance between the sea and sky even when the moon's altitude is
fairly
> > high and quite a large number of degrees in arc either side of the
moon's
> > azimuth.As the moon gets closer and closer to the horizon(setting and
> > opposite when riseing)the reflected line of light gets more and more
> intense
> > untill the moon's light is refracted enough and the white light turns to
> > orange.
> > Useing the polarizing shade,sometimes useing both the horizon and index
> > polarizing shade or a combination of all the shades if both the light of
> the
> > moon and the reflected light is strong,helps in seeing the black line
you
> > mentioned.

   

Reply