Tom Cunliffe takes a forenoon sight on his old Husun sextant
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- Опубликовано: 30 сен 2024
- Join Tom Cunliffe as he takes a successful forenoon sight with his 1942 sextant
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copyright Tom Cunliffe 2019
Great video and GPS great to compare your sight with. For what its worth if the sun is rising as it would be before noon the I would put the sextant on a whole number withe the sun about half a diameter below the horizon this gives two hands to steady the sextant and no chasing the sun with the wheel, just hold and swing the sextant and watch the sun creep up to the horizon when there just take the time when it happens can be handy if boat moving around a lot. I find it easier to keep the sextant steady this way as you just holding and not adjusting. Its great to see the old arts still in practice
Hi Ian. Nice to hear from a kindred spirit. That's an interesting idea about the rising sun. I never heard of it before. It never struck me over all the years I was doing it in anger, but it's never too late to learn. I'll give it a try. Cheers T
Cheers Tom different ships different long splices , I was 20 try at sea where the sun gun was our only means of deep sea navigation definitely give it a try as I found it much easier especially when swinging it in the pendulum fashion on a rolling deck as your only doing the one action. Different merchant companies usually had different ways to do their sights I picked this up when in BP and stuck with me. Keep the videos coming as enjoy anything nautical particularly like your video on the Bristol Channel Pilot Cutters and the history of Piloting in those days having just retired as a Pilot in SW Wales. Cheers
Ian Swales yeah we were also taught this trick,a bit of a cheat but with a proper lookout you never run aground.Brilliant recall,I’ve almost forgotten this.
Inspiring, thanks Tom. Looking forward to the video where you explain the whole process. As a person surrounded by digital tech I would love to understand how to do sun tech.
It's in the planning stages and I hope to put it together next winter. So keep the faith.
Oh pleeeeease let’s see the whole thing! I haven’t got a sextant, and part of me says it completely unnecessary, but I just love the mathematical principles behind it.
No nonsense as always Tom! It would be good to see an extended video we could share as a reference for others? Perhaps show how the sextant can be used for taking other angles in the horizontal too. These skills are not common place, more is the pity. They should be among sailors! We bought a plastic Sextant many years ago, had to fold it up to box it. It is now landfill..... What a waste! Today we have what can only be described as "an antique" in a strong mahogany box. A real pleasure to use! Every time we do, we cannot help but think of all those that have used it before us with tar stained hands and salt encrusted long coats. Fair winds for you both, Sail Safe. Ant & Cid, SV Impavidus.
Nicely put Ant & Cid. Will be on the case.
Love your videos sir.... I, as someone else wrote would enjoy seeing how you use the sextant in its entirety.
Warren s/y Legend
I'm working on it Warren. Glad you enjoyed this taster.
Sailors fail sometimes to acknowledge the frailty of electronics in todays environment. Mr. Cunliff is the real deal who knows it's value.
Lovely video - many thanks. New lanyard! Give us more of these great videos, when you have a chance, Tom & Roz - nice steady camera work there - nearly as steady as your sighting-work Tom! Astro navigation is fun! Cheers. William.
Hi William. Roz is delighted to be appreciated, but is happy to step back and take an advisory position when we finally get round to doing a technical series on astro. T
Come on Mate, bore them with the rest, till their eyes glaze over.
Hugh Smith the sextant is the most amazing item on my boat. How could it bore anyone?
Thank you for that Rick. I was horrified that anybody could find such a subject boring,
Tom: "We're not very professional with our camera work here"
Roz: "How dare you!" (throws down camera)
Hi Tom. It would be great for us landlubbers if you did another vid on using the sexton and plotting your position in more detail!
Morning. I'm planning to make a series about the sextant which will go up on my members club at www.tomcunliffe.com. May not be until next year though. In the meantime, have you got my 'Celestial Navigation' book? Cheers Tom
Who's to say, two miles may very well be spot on, according to the Axis tilting over the past few Century's ago, ya know.
Ah yes, the most important part of any nautical maneuver ... finish your coffee first!
Most sailors don't go on long passages and wouldn't appreciate the satisfaction one gets from amusing oneself, doing things the old way. Top work Top.
How right you are Graham.
Celestial navigation or astro navigation?
Learned about doing a Noon sight last winter through a instruction course, used the sextant I bought at a thrift shop for $2.00 Canadian in its original box ,yes TWO DOLLARS , SCORE..
,
Blimey. That was a steal. Well done. Tom
As an MN apprentice I started my sextant training taking star sights. I was senior cadet on a petrochemical tanker and was given the mates 4 to 8 watch after we left Panama. I was sh*tting a brick and my star sights were never that good. Thank heavens for the 2nd and 3rd mates noon shots.
You were thrown in at the deep end with star sights - the sun is much easier, isn't it Tom
I don't own a boat but I bought a sextant (Davis Mk15) after reading about the Lewis and Clark expedition of 1803. They used a bowl of mercury as an "artificial horizon" and Davis supply a little box with coloured glass filters for this. Water mists up the glass and mercury is too expensive so I use vegetable oil which is viscous and doesn't ripple in a breeze. Sun shots are the easiest for a beginner, a noon shot gives both lat and long with one simple table. Planet shots are second best as they are bright, star shots very difficult with street lighting and the moon gives the worst positions on account of the extra corrections. Like Tom in the video, my best position was about 2 miles off - great fun!
Good one Tom.... would love you to run through the finer details of using a sekstant and astro navigation sometime. English born but I now live in Denmark sailing timber boats/ships when I can. All the best.
Good old boy.
Hi Tom, If you ever get around to doing another book on astro navigation, it might be a good idea to start with the idea of a tall lighthouse on a rock and the circular position line around it for a given angle. Someone asked me to explain how a sextant gave a position so I took that approach and then explained that the tables were pre-computed. I'm sure the Sea Scouts might benefit from a talk on the sextant, while they still have school geometry in their heads.
Polarizing sunglasses, Tom, try them out when the horizon appears to hide in the sun and ocean glare.
perfect... I love this old way of navigating.
Well done and I will get the proper kit one day.
Wonderful
A very good and inspiring video, as always.
It is really a pleasure listening to your stories and tips!
Thanks
Nice to see you wearing normal shore clothing Tom
Thank you, Tom, very nice. I have been using the old method of Capt Sumner (the Sumner Line) which needs only Reeds Astro Almanac and suits a small brain. I have a plastic sextant and have found that it gives reasonable results, maybe three miles error in best conditions.
If it works for you, that's great by me.
Very informative, looking forward to more.
Great video on sight-taking, Tom. Thanks - but I suspect that even you will find it hard to do an entertaining video on perusing sight reduction tables.
I've tried to use my Dad's old plastic Ebbco a couple of times now, but to my disgust failed to download the right tables for the best opportunity, which was crossing from Ireland to Scillies this summer. Can't even claim the Dog Ate My Homework. I will try another time, though!
Not sure if this is an appropriate place to make the comment, but I know Tom can't say it here, and someone should: I highly recommend TC's book on astro-nav. Clear, concise and practical.
Hi Martin. I'm glad the book works for you. Thanks for the plug. I had an Ebbco that I used as backup for my Husun in really bad weather and as a reserve in case the 'proper one' was damaged. It was sort of OK for the sun, but useless for stars. Bless it, the optics just weren't up to it. Keep the faith and better luck with the downloads next time! All the best Tom
The US Naval Academy has begun teaching Celestial Navigation to Cadets again ...after at one time thinking it was obsolete. Hopefully they'll start teaching them the Ways of the Sea again.
Wouldn't that be grand! They've made a good start.
I've got to learn how to do this, love it
The Freiberger Yacht Sextant is worth a look. On merchant ships back in the day when the sextant was used continuously most ships carried two sextants these were usually the same mostly Cooke , Husun and other quality makes. They had two as one for obvious redundancy but it also allowed the cadets to shoot stars and the sun simultaneously with the officers and a comparison could be made. One company I was with to save money (they had 100+ ships) decided to use the Freiberger Yacht Sextants which are about 7/8th the size a lot ligher as made of an alloy with a very small telescope and not quite so detailed micrometer. I think the ethos was that these would do in an emergency.
These were extremely light weight but very well made and robust and soon became well liked and proven against the established sextants although the scopes were not as powerful their light weight made them easy to hold and were fine for doing star sights and the sun. I would say that they would be an excellent sextant in todays world to supplement gps as they are strong, compact and extremely light. Im not sure on the price of them these days as previously they were less than the traditional ones, if they were cheaper still Id definitely consider or even at the same price they are worth considering dependant on your priorities and what your actually going to use it for. It like comparing a big yacht you may use occasionally or a smaller one used more often ;)
Thanks Ian for further useful input. Funnily enough, my No2 sextant, which is technically my wife's, was handed to me by her father when he swallowed the anchor due to very advanced age. It is, what I have always understood, to be a Yachtsman Sextant. Smaller than my full-sized Husun, lighter and so on. In fact, just as you describe. It's a great little sextant and nicely boxed. The optics are not quite as good as the Husun, but the lack of detail on the micrometer doesn't matter as we both know one tends to interpolate by eye.
Thrilling indeed. I've put my sextant up for sale as suggested
Well done Martin. I hope you get a good price! Don't tell them about my video!!
another very casual yet informative episode...short, fun story....sailing the Atlantic in the 1st ARC race, in a two handed Rival 34....sextant....2/3 of the way across we were passed by a very large sailboat captained by a German "Master Mariner/ Any Ocean" etc (his words)...I politely asked him "to confirm my fix" and his position put me 100 north of my position coming into Barbados. For the final week....I did forenoon, noon, afternoon sights, redid all the calculations from my sights starting in the Canaries....ended up with a bruised eye (no cup on my Heath Hezzaninth)....and fretted 24/7. Turns out I was spot on, and the island hove into view just as it should have. I met up with the German "master mariner" at a party, introduced myself....and first thing out of his mouth was....."oh, about the fix I gave you a few weeks ago...." He should have worn my rum...though being precious in its own right....but we had a good laugh! Thanks, Andrew
Great story Andrew. What a laugh. You couldn't make it up. Perhaps, with your permission, I'll include it in a column I have in mind for Sailing Today about the dangers of listening to local and expert advice.
@@TomCunliffeYachtsandYarns Thanks Mr Cunliffe....absolutely, and I will look out for the issue with that article. Good magazine. In this day and age, with thousands of internet captains, and even more out on the water, one has to develop the knack of separating the wheat from the chaff so to speak! As to my Heath...it still travels with me on my catamaran, lanyard intact, no polish, current 2019 tables, paper charts....but to be honest I have become a tad lazy and my chart plotter does all the work for me!
Here's something I'd like to get your advice on, Tom: I understand that it is possible to practice sight-taking at home, using an artificial horizon. I had a go with a water-filled pan and a film of oil, but it was rather unsatisfactory. I dare say you've not had the need to hone your skills on dry land but if you have any tips I'm sure they would be useful for myself and others.
Of course, it doesn't recreate the full maritime experience, but one can always add additional factors to make it more of a challenge:
Standing on one leg,
Random spray from the garden hose and occasional bucket-full over the head (there'd be a line of volunteers waiting to operate that)
Balancing on a Space Hopper or See-Saw
Etc etc
I'm sure there are others, but I only know one guy who has successfully managed to fix his position using these land-based means. He is in Switzerland. If you are serious I could contact him and see if he's prepared to divulge his secrets. Meanwhile, good luck with the space hopper and the hose.
Davis sell a plastic box with blue and yellow glass filters for this. Better to use oil as it doesn't ripple and steam up the glass windows. The 1801 Lewis&Clark expedition used one with mercury, but oil is OK, but really only for the sun, the reflections of stars is too faint. The angle is double so angles >60 deg will be off the arc or the sextant, so best in Winter and lower latitudes. Have fun!
Great video Tom, your book on celestial navigation is next on my list. Yours Aye, Buster
Good for you Buster. When you get the book, make sure you've understood each page before you go onto the next and you'll be fine.
Will do
Come on Tom, sort out your number of subscribers, all other RUclips sights show them. Regards
I haven't the time to work out how to do it - too busy sailing! However, I've nothing to hide. We are a tight group of switched-on people. For info, it's around 5k.
Tom Cunliffe - yachts and yarns Tom all you have to do is tell RUclips and they will sort it out. But as you say it is not important. Regards.
Forgot to mention .... it was your book on astro navigation, Tom, that got me going as I had read it a few times to learn how to do the sight reductions before I had a sextant. The story of Lewis & Clark made me realise that you can do astro on land too!
This is all very interesting George. Well done for contriving an artificial horizon. I never managed it myself. My father-in-law, a WWII pilot, showed me how to use a bubble sextant which does the same job. To be honest, I haven't had much luck with that either, although after half a lifetime of doing it for real, I'm still a dabhand with the Husun. Thanks for these charming insights. Tom
@@TomCunliffeYachtsandYarns I take my hat off to the WWII navigators who could get their aircraft right over unlit targets while getting shot at. Keep those great video yarns coming!!
Please do that more in depth video
It's in the pipeline, but won't appear for a while. Lot of work!
Two miles inaccuracy with only one shot - my hat off, Tom!
Cheers. I've had a bit of practice over the years! There's nothing like endless repetition. Also, it enables one to make a snap assessment about how good an individual sight is likely to be. That's pretty important too. But in good conditions with accurate time and a real sextant, 2 miles for each position line is a sort of gold standard to aim for. I have one or two old plotting sheets from the glory days of astro whereby I shot half a dozen stars and you can't see daylight between the lines on the fix. My pencil was sharp too! Happy days...Tom
Hi, Tom,
Yes, practice is of importance. Sometimes I practice even now when my boat has been on dry for five years already. Nowadays folks rely more on GPS. Geolocation with the help of electronics is easy and precise, no doubt, but how much more confident you feel if you can do it independently! My heartfelt regards!
Valentine
👌🌞👍
What are names of good quality sextants at reasonable prices?
Good question. Sadly, there's no easy answer. You get what you pay for. Buying new - £5//600 seems about the figure. Don't be tempted by the plastic ones, I recently sailed with some astro students who'd brought along their instruments. The metal ones blew the plastic ones into the weeds. I can't recall who makes them, but Arthur Beale can supply. Mention my name to Captain Flint.
As most ships constructed in Japan and Far East and have to have sextants when built keep your eye open for a Tamaya Sextant these are excellent quality and well made. They are Japanese as Tom said go for a metal construction and with a decent case and don't bother with a built in light as just adds weight.
@@TomCunliffeYachtsandYarns thank you Mr Cunliffe. We love your channel and books. We've only been sailing a year and just on Lake Huron on our Bayfield 25. Not oceans for us yet. You are helping us learn lots. Thank you.
Thanks for that Ian. I've recently been shipmates with an Astra which I thought very good. It offers a choice of single horizon or split mirror. The split mirror seems a better option to me. I agree with you about the light. My old Husun has one. I've never used it in 45 years and it just gets in the way. When I'm doing stars, I nip below to jot down the time and altitude. I have a good light on the chart table, so reading is no problem. With twilight outside, there's no issue about loss of night vision., One of these days I'll take mine off!
I took the RYA astro course 4 years ago and haven't had chance to put it to use,looking forward to your new videos, hopefully I'll be a boat owner again by then
Keep the faith Karl. I'm working on it.