NavList:

Brad, you wrote:
"The index arm does not appear to have a pivot which supports the index mirror. The index arm is drawn as if fixed in place."

Yeah, it sort of reminds me of an Escher drawing. It defies the laws of geometry. Notice also the cross piece in the middle of the frame. It's supposed to be an inverted 'T' with the vertical bar in the center of the instrument, but it's skewed to one side. I suspect the artist drew the quadrant from memory. It's rather "impressionistic"!

Lu, you wrote:
"I worry more about those not-so-nice-looking guys at the longboat behind the midshipman"

That's funny. I had the same impression. He needs a little cartoon bubble over his head: "I'll show that fop where 'e can stick that quadrant!"

Hewitt, you wrote:
"Handle on the right is all part of the world's conspiracy against southpaws."

Ahh, or is it some nameless southpaw's revenge? As James in my class this weekend noted, most people are right-hand dominant so adjusting the micrometer and then, especially, recording the sight are activities that would benefit greatly if the instrument were reversed left-to-right. Did you ever notice? YOU can record the sight (assuming you're sinistral) without putting the sextant down! The majority of sextant users cannot do this. Thanks, by the way, I did not know about those Trek southpaws. Naturally, Jack the Ripper was sinister. :)

-FER

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