Medium Brass Lifeboat Midi Sextant in a wood box
A handy miniature brass sextant. It has 6 different coloured glass filters for adjusting the intensity of light from the sun. To move the index arm along the scale a small tightening screw under the arm needs loosening. This screw needs to be tightened after moving the arm to the desired position. The reading from the vernier is read through the magnifying glass. The sextant comes in a fine wooden box with brass fittings. This item makes an excellent inexpensive gift. The arch of the scale measures 12 cm and it weighs 1 kg
Sextants are navigating instruments used to calculate the distance between two points. They were used extensively on ships before the invention of GPS (Global Positioning System). Even today, big ships are all required to carry working sextants, and navigating officers have regular routines to keep themselves familiar with operating them. Despite all the GPS, gyro compasses and radio communications; at the end of the day it is an instrument that does not require any electricity or power of any sort to make it work. So when all else fails, the sextant is always there!
Also available in BRONZE or BLACK Gunmetal