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David,
I would not think that a lanyard, no mater how thick could hold a sextant and 
prevent it from sinking. More then that you will not drop the sextant when 
the boat is standing still but instead you will drop it when things are rough 
and the boat is moving. I don?t think you have any chance of getting a 
sextant back if it goes over the side. Keeping the sextant attached to you is 
the best way to make sure it stays on the boat. And keeping you attached to 
the boat is the best way of making sure that both you and the sextant survive 
the trip.

I also use a sextant as my primary means of navigation and have adopted some rules for its safety.

A. Best sextant is only used in the best weather.
B. Spare sextant is used in adverse conditions.
C. Sextant makes the trip to the cockpit in its watertight case and is removed 
just before   the check for index error and subsequent use. It is replaced 
into its case immediately after use along with the stopwatch and notepad.
D. Sextant and case is replaced in locker before sight reduction no mater what distraction you encounter.

I have a home made lanyard and that goes around my neck after I open the case 
and before the sextant is removed from the case. I think the most likely time 
to drop the instrument is when you are removing it from the case or changing 
hands with it. I place the case in the footwell of the cockpit and open it 
when I am kneeling down. I am afraid to place it on a seat in the cockpit 
because even in good weather the boat might roll and slide the case and 
instrument off the seat. If it?s on the deck in the footwell it can?t fall 
any further then that.
All the best,
Robert Gainer

>
> From: "David F. McCune" 
> Date: 2006/04/28 Fri AM 05:52:00 EDT
> To: NAVIGATION-L@LISTSERV.WEBKAHUNA.COM
> Subject: Re: Lanyard for your sextant
>
> I use a floating lanyard that I bought some years ago at West Marine.   It
> is thick, soft neoprene or some such thing, so it's comfortable and easy to
> grab in dim light.  In theory, it will keep the sextant afloat if I drop it
> overboard.  I've never tested that theory, however.  I'm much more worried
> about dropping the sextant on deck or banging it into a bulkhead as I
> clamber about on the boat.  The most dangerous moment for me is climbing
> down the companionway hatch in heavy seas.  The sextant is around my neck,
> the boat is rolling from 20 degrees on one side to 20 on the other, and
> sometimes for a second or two I have to hang on to the boat with two hands.
> The sextant becomes a big, fragile pendulum.  I always breather a sigh of
> relief the instant I get the sextant back into it's foam rubber padded case.
> I still sail long distances solo with no navigational electronics (well, I
> DO use a Timex quartz watch), so losing my sextant would be a fairly big
> deal.  I keep a backup sextant on board, just in case.
>
> Good luck with your new sextant.
>
> David
>   -----Original Message-----
>   From: Navigation Mailing List
> [mailto:NAVIGATION-L@LISTSERV.WEBKAHUNA.COM]On Behalf Of Guy Schwartz
>   Sent: Friday, April 28, 2006 4:17 AM
>   To: NAVIGATION-L@LISTSERV.WEBKAHUNA.COM
>   Subject: Lanyard for your sextant
>
>
>   Well I took the plunge and purchased
>   a new sextant. What are you folks using as a lanyard?
>   Thank you,
>   Guy
>
>

   

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