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Re: Kelvin Hughes Sextant
From: David Pike
Date: 2015 Jan 7, 08:45 -0800

Good Marine Sextant Coming Up

> Hi As a yachtsman new to astro nav, I acquired a Kelvin Hughes sextant
serial no 50117, it's grey ex admiralty. In the box is a fairly large dia
lens which is the one I use as well as a telescopic eyepiece with 2
changeable lenses one has a pair of parallel lines the other 2 pairs of lines
at 90 degrees. These invert the image. What are they used for. Also I have 2
shaded what appear to be replacement lenses not screwed and don't appear to
fit anywhere. Can anyone explain the purpose of these please  . Thanks Jerry
Gorman
 

Jerry if it's not a rude question, how much did you pay for your recent purchase of a KH sextant?  I heard last night that a very good friend of mine who is putting up his sextant for good is thinking of selling it.  I'm going over sometime this month to look at it and take a few photographs.  I probably won't buy it myself, because I'm happy with my present one, appart from the size of the mirrors, but we'd like it to go to an enthusiast and not end up polished and varnished on the wall of a theme pub.  The details I have so far, which I suspect might come from the certificate rather than the sextant itself are:  S Smith Kelvin Hughes 68449 6" radius 0.2' 1963, and it's a micrometer scale.  Please can anyone tell me if 68449 and 1963 corespond, or is the certificate a more recent calibration?  Dave        

Readers will remember my writing that my good friend Rodney Clapson wishes to sell his sextant.  UK readers will recall adverts from Clapson’s Yacht Brokers, South Ferriby for many years in the yachting press.  I dropped in to Rodney’s today to view and photograph the instrument.  It’s a relatively modern Smiths Kelvin Hughes Mates 6” three circle sextant probably manufactured in1963, but it’s not a large mirror model.  In fact, it appears to be out of the same mould as my own 1941 Huson model, except it’s painted grey not black, and there aren’t quite so many attachments.  Everything that should be there is there.  In the photographs the telescope shade is attached to the 2.5x telescope.  It has a polished hardwood handle, and all the glass is in good condition.  It just needs a wipe with a soft cloth.  I’m not sure which material the scale is, but the frame is brass.  The box looks quite modern, is in good condition, and still has its key.  It was difficult to check index error, because I was indoors in a built up area, so there wasn’t a suitable view from the window, but it seemed OK.  If anyone’s interested it purchasing it and saving it from the wall of a theme pub or someone’s mantle piece, please contact me privately, and I’ll send you Rodney’s email.  I’ve placed four photographs of Rodney’s 1963 sextant below along with two of my own 1941 model.  Sharp eyed readers will note that the ladies supporting the certificate have aged very little in 22 years.  Dave    

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