NavList:

Hello all, I goofed up my initial post a few days ago so thought I’d give it another go.  I have been lurking here for quite some time and appreciate everyone's expertise, it has certainly helped me on my CelNav journey.  CelNav is a hobby of mine, I won't ever sail around the world or need it to navigate in an emergency.  But i find it deeply satisfying to be outside, to plan and execute a sight , perform the sight reduction, plot and then admire the fact that I was able to determine my location on the globe within with just a sextant, clock, sight reduction forms and almanac. It is a wonderful challenge, a sentiment I am sure is shared by lots of folks on this forum.

I currently have a plastic davis sextant and am landlocked so I use an AH primarily but also a local lake horizon when I can .  I've reached a point now where i wanted to reach out and ask folks more knowledgeable than me some advice on next steps:

• Burch's home study CelNav course has gotten me this far, and I will continue to take sun moon star and planet sights and work on accuracy and consistency.  What are some possible ways of further advancing my knowledge and skills? Are there other home study or internet-based courses I could take that are suggested? 
• I've promised myself I would buy myself a more durable and higher quality sextant once i got consitent with the plastic sextant.  The Astra IIIB is attractive and well-regarded.  I like it's value ($899 from my searches), good quality and lightness. With that said I am also looking at a C&P Polaris as an option.  The C&P workmanship seems unparalelled and I would like a piece of equipment that will hold up long term, especially since this will get frequent use and not live in a box unused. I will also likely only buy one sextant in my life (or plan to anyway). The price difference seems extreme (C&P: $2100).  What would I be getting with this extra money?  Assuming money wasnt much of an object would it be worth it?  Has anyone tried the C&P Clearview technology?  I am familiar with the split view (obviously) but can't find anything online about the advantages/disadvantages of the clearview system.

Thanks in advance!

Will H.