Salamander - Using a Sextant

Andrew is doing his RYA Yachtmaster Ocean Practical on this trip and as such needs to tick a few boxes. One of the boxes that needs ticking is the use of a sextant to take positions at various times of day and night.

Salamander has a sextant on board for use. It looks incredibly fragile when you consider where it's principal place of use is! It's complex combination of arcs and mirrors with a couple of adjustable dials to accurately record the elevation of celestial objects.

Taking the reading however would seem the easy bit! The size of the Sight Reduction Tables and the calculations that are required make this whole process massively complicated and it's definitely something that requires regular practice to become anything approaching proficient.

It's a great sight seeing Andrew sitting on the aft deck with the sextant held to his eye taking the reading. It somehow adds extra value to the enormity of our trans Atlantic challenge. After all it was how sailors navigated the globe before we had GPS!

Tim - Salamander Tour Manager and Guest Social Media Editor


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