NavList:

That is a terrific instrument, looks in pristine condition, and the price is a steal (would easily cost 2-3x on eBay). Judging by the condition, esp the absence of corrision on the box hinge, it looks like it spent most of its life nice and dry on shore. Great to have the brush, and if you were very, very lucky, the key to the case lock was still with the sextant!

Best of all, you have the information on the previous owner and his exploits. If there is a way to check, I'll bet they bought it in preparation for their circumnavigation (assume it was in the early to mid-60s right aft the sextant was manufactured) and then after they returned, it mostly lived on land.  But I suggest you try to talk to the previous owner's relatives to get more of the story and also get a picture of them.  That way when, someday, you pass the sextant on to the next owner, they too will have the pleasure of knowing it's history.

And last, but def not least, just the tool you need to safely navigate the wild ocean between King Harbor and Two Harbors on Catalina! (I understand that next to Drake's Passage, it is the most fearsome straits on the planet!)

-p