Reed's Sextant Simplified

Publisher: Adlard Coles Nautical, 7th ed., 2003 £ 12.99 .

Originally written by the late Captain O. M. Watts when we used the word sextant far more than we do today; Dag Pike, a fellow of the Royal Institute of Navigation, has completely rewritten it with the mind of a great navigator who understands well both the advantages and disadvantages of the electronic aides of today. 

People marvel at the accuracy of GPS, thinking wrongly that the advantage of Differential GPS and the augmentation systems is their extra accuracy whereas it is the monitoring of the signals that is far more important to us.  Safety is a matter of how close to danger you are prepared to go depending on the accuracy of your position fix.  Not only is the sextant not reliant on electricity but the position of the sun and the stars is consistently reliable so no monitoring is needed.  It is often forgotten that the sextant is a most useful tool for coastal navigation as well as out in the blue oceans. 

This book is just what is wanted.  Short enough, beautifully clear with excellent diagrams, useful practical tips on the sextant’s use based on experience in addition to explaining how it all works.  It finishes with a clear but comprehensive index.  You owe it to your passengers and crew to know how to use a sextant and this book is just the ticket.  I thoroughly recommend it.  -  RPY

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