NavList:
A Community Devoted to the Preservation and Practice of Celestial Navigation and Other Methods of Traditional Wayfinding
From: Greg Rudzinski
Date: 2013 Jul 9, 20:31 -0700
Yesterday I joined a sailing buddy on his 40 foot sloop. The plan was to test his new jib then overnight at a favorite anchorage called Smugglers Cove. The forecasted wind called for 10 kts but we got 25 kts instead. With reefed sails the sloop was beating smartly into a choppy sea littered with white caps. So what better time to break out the sextant to test rough weather observation skills. Down below looked a mess including my sextant box which had taken quite a spill across the cabin. Checking index error showed a rather large 3° 30' on the arc. How could there be so much ? Closer inspection revealed a shifted horizon mirror. Out came the screw driver to loosen the frame screws then the frame was shifted back so that the Sun images overlapped. A finer adjustment was done at the micrometer drum which the Cassens & Plath has. Index error checks less than 1'. All is well again. Rough weather observations were completed but took great patience in rocking the arc.
A most valuable experience.
Greg Rudzinski
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