NavList:
A Community Devoted to the Preservation and Practice of Celestial Navigation and Other Methods of Traditional Wayfinding
Re: Sextant lubrication and protection
From: Joel Jacobs
Date: 2004 Aug 2, 20:33 -0400
From: Joel Jacobs
Date: 2004 Aug 2, 20:33 -0400
Hello Doug, Your silence made me think you were at sea. I did think of RainX just after I hit the send key in the message where I was talking about washing a sextant after use. I even recalled that you had gone into quite a detailed explanation about how you took care of yours. Sorry about that because it was a worthwhile suggestion. Ugh to STCW. At least your on the receiving side rather than the paying side, Joel ----- Original Message ----- From: "Royer, Doug"To: Sent: Monday, August 02, 2004 7:00 PM Subject: Sextant lubrication and protection > All, > I've been following the discussions with interest on a belated basis.I've > been quite busy since the new security regs came into being in July. > I took a post instructing and certifying mariners in STCW.Also the theory > and hands-on training in the new shipboard securuty procedures for U.S.M.M. > personnel. > > To belatedly put in my $0.02 on a few subjects: > > 1. I found one of the very best lubricants/film protectants to use on a > sextant subjected to use at sea is a product known as NYOIL. > It's not that expensive,relative to the cost of a sextant,around $9.00 for > an 8 oz. bottle.That 1 bottle will last years.It has about the same > charactoristics as the old Sperm Whale oil except the smell.If this is > unavailable in your area a high quality Jajoba oil should be.This natural > oil has the same charactoristics as the shark liver lubricants used in the > past. > 2. I wrote of this in the past.Perhaps some of you missed it: protect your > sextant mirrors before you go to sea by applying a product known in the U.S. > as RAINX to both surfaces of the Horizon mirror,the Index mirror and glass > surfaces of the optics.It really retards any corrosion of the glass surfaces > in the event you are negligent in the maintanance of your sextant for what > ever reason. > 3. Something Joel wrote about 7/8 size(yatch)sextants vs full > size(metal)sextants I'd also like to comment on:I've used full size sextants > exclusively in my career.I've never used a 7/8 size sextant on either a > small or large vessel.I do know I,personaly,like the heft of a full size > metal sextant over a full size plastic sextant for the simple reason I'm > used to useing one. > Now take the following with a grain of salt as I'm not a small boat driver: > It was taught to me and practiced by myself and other professionals to > discipline one's self during sighting procedures to take 1 cut of a body and > move on to the next one,get it done and move on to the next duty.A > proficiant mariner should be able to accomplish this with practice.That said > most of you know my background in larger vessels and my lack of time on > "yatchs". > As for Joel's comment on heavier rifles vs lighter rifles and the inherant > ease of holding a heavier rifle on target over a lighter rifle it is > true.One learns to use a heavier rifle's weight to advantage and one doesn't > get beat up by recoil as much as with a lighter rifle useing the same > rounds.I'll take an M1A1(M-14) over an M-4 carbine(M-16 variant)any day > because of the ease of holding it on target. > I feel the same about sextants. > Take care all.