NavList:
A Community Devoted to the Preservation and Practice of Celestial Navigation and Other Methods of Traditional Wayfinding
Is Sextant an Optical Device?
From: Dave Weilacher
Date: 2002 Oct 4, 04:49 -0700
From: Dave Weilacher
Date: 2002 Oct 4, 04:49 -0700
The Sextant Handbook, 2nd Ed. by Bruce Bauer, page 54. Says that if the scope is bent or broken, take it off. "This works well and you probably will get sights just about as accurate if your eyesight is good" I'd argue that if a thing serves its purpose without optics, then it isn't an optical device. For example, binoculars without their optics serve no purpose at all. How about a ruler that has a magnefying bar along its length. It meets all the same criteria for calling it an optical device that sextants do. If your eyesight is good, it works just as well. I guess if this judge saw me toting a mannequin across state lines that appeared to be an under-age female, he'd lock me up for committing a felony because it sure looked like a crime to him. The sad truth is that we tend to promote a lot of people to powerful positions who are educated way beyond their intelligence. Dave Weilacher .US Coast Guard licensed captain . #889968 .ASA certified sailing and celestial . navigation instructor #990800 .IBM AS400 RPG contract programmer
