{"id":3202,"date":"2026-04-14T10:19:38","date_gmt":"2026-04-14T09:19:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/lovesail.com\/ls-news\/?p=3202"},"modified":"2026-04-14T12:19:02","modified_gmt":"2026-04-14T11:19:02","slug":"sextants","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lovesail.com\/ls-news\/sextants\/","title":{"rendered":"Sextants"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2 data-section-id=\"1uwc5p0\" data-start=\"415\" data-end=\"436\">What Are Sextants?<\/h2>\n<p data-start=\"480\" data-end=\"705\">Sextants are traditional navigation instruments used by sailors to determine their position at sea. Long before GPS, sextants allowed navigators to calculate latitude and longitude using the Sun, Moon, stars, and the horizon.<!--more--><\/p>\n<p data-start=\"707\" data-end=\"794\">Even today, sextants remain one of the most reliable backup navigation tools available.<\/p>\n<hr data-start=\"796\" data-end=\"799\" \/>\n<h2 data-section-id=\"1i59oue\" data-start=\"801\" data-end=\"821\">How Sextants Work<\/h2>\n<p data-start=\"823\" data-end=\"1020\">Sextants measure the angle between a celestial object and the horizon. Using a system of mirrors, the observer brings the image of the Sun (or another celestial body) down to meet the horizon line.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1022\" data-end=\"1143\">This angle, combined with accurate time and nautical almanacs, allows sailors to calculate their exact position on Earth.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1145\" data-end=\"1255\">Although the process requires practice, it is highly accurate and completely independent of modern technology.<\/p>\n<hr data-start=\"1257\" data-end=\"1260\" \/>\n<h2 data-section-id=\"1euqjad\" data-start=\"1262\" data-end=\"1288\">The History of Sextants<\/h2>\n<p data-start=\"1290\" data-end=\"1440\">The idea behind sextants originated in the late 17th century, when <span class=\"hover:entity-accent entity-underline inline cursor-pointer align-baseline\"><span class=\"whitespace-normal\">Isaac Newton<\/span><\/span> described the principle of double reflection.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1442\" data-end=\"1546\">The sextant itself was later developed and popularised in 1757 by <span class=\"hover:entity-accent entity-underline inline cursor-pointer align-baseline\"><span class=\"whitespace-normal\">John Campbell<\/span><\/span>.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1548\" data-end=\"1602\">Its name comes from its 60\u00b0 arc, one-sixth of a circle.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1604\" data-end=\"1752\">Before sextants, sailors used the octant, invented independently by <span class=\"hover:entity-accent entity-underline inline cursor-pointer align-baseline\"><span class=\"whitespace-normal\">Thomas Godfrey<\/span><\/span> and <span class=\"hover:entity-accent entity-underline inline cursor-pointer align-baseline\"><span class=\"whitespace-normal\">John Hadley<\/span><\/span>.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1754\" data-end=\"1901\">Sextants quickly replaced earlier tools such as the backstaff, cross-staff, and mariner\u2019s astrolabe due to their superior accuracy and ease of use.<\/p>\n<hr data-start=\"1903\" data-end=\"1906\" \/>\n<h2 data-section-id=\"55o5b\" data-start=\"1908\" data-end=\"1952\">Why Sextants Were Important in Navigation<\/h2>\n<p data-start=\"1954\" data-end=\"2033\">Sextants played a crucial role in the age of exploration and global navigation.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2035\" data-end=\"2078\">They were used by famous sailors including:<\/p>\n<ul data-start=\"2080\" data-end=\"2205\">\n<li data-section-id=\"hjs5dh\" data-start=\"2080\" data-end=\"2121\"><span class=\"hover:entity-accent entity-underline inline cursor-pointer align-baseline\"><span class=\"whitespace-normal\">James Cook<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li data-section-id=\"pzvh1x\" data-start=\"2122\" data-end=\"2163\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.lovesail.com\/ls-news\/robert-fitzroy\/\"><span class=\"hover:entity-accent entity-underline inline cursor-pointer align-baseline\"><span class=\"whitespace-normal\">Robert FitzRoy<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li data-section-id=\"1l5awad\" data-start=\"2164\" data-end=\"2205\"><span class=\"hover:entity-accent entity-underline inline cursor-pointer align-baseline\"><span class=\"whitespace-normal\">Francis Chichester<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p data-start=\"2207\" data-end=\"2312\">These instruments allowed sailors to navigate vast oceans safely, long before electronic systems existed.<\/p>\n<hr data-start=\"2314\" data-end=\"2317\" \/>\n<h2 data-section-id=\"i83nrk\" data-start=\"2319\" data-end=\"2352\">Are Sextants Still Used Today?<\/h2>\n<p data-start=\"2354\" data-end=\"2388\">Yes, sextants are still used today.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2390\" data-end=\"2574\">While GPS has become the primary navigation method, sextants remain an essential backup. They do not rely on electricity, satellites, or signals, making them invaluable in emergencies.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2576\" data-end=\"2678\">Many professional sailors and naval officers are still trained in celestial navigation using sextants.<\/p>\n<hr data-start=\"2680\" data-end=\"2683\" \/>\n<h2 data-section-id=\"3vzvs4\" data-start=\"2685\" data-end=\"2713\">Why Sextants Still Matter<\/h2>\n<p data-start=\"2715\" data-end=\"2820\">Sextants are more than just historical instruments, they are a dependable, elegant solution to navigation.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2822\" data-end=\"2846\">For sailors, they offer:<\/p>\n<ul data-start=\"2847\" data-end=\"2965\">\n<li data-section-id=\"w5aqfy\" data-start=\"2847\" data-end=\"2887\">Independence from electronic systems<\/li>\n<li data-section-id=\"hfyomv\" data-start=\"2888\" data-end=\"2924\">A reliable backup in emergencies<\/li>\n<li data-section-id=\"8hgcnh\" data-start=\"2925\" data-end=\"2965\">A deeper understanding of navigation<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p data-start=\"2967\" data-end=\"3041\">They also remain a symbol of traditional seamanship and maritime heritage.<\/p>\n<hr data-start=\"3043\" data-end=\"3046\" \/>\n<h2 data-section-id=\"fafljo\" data-start=\"3048\" data-end=\"3077\">Final Thoughts on Sextants<\/h2>\n<p data-start=\"3079\" data-end=\"3224\">Sextants have guided sailors across oceans for over 250 years. Despite modern technology, they continue to hold an important place in navigation.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"3226\" data-end=\"3384\">Whether you\u2019re a seasoned sailor or simply interested in maritime history, learning about sextants offers a fascinating insight into how we explore the world.<\/p>\n<hr data-start=\"3386\" data-end=\"3389\" \/>\n<h3 data-section-id=\"atwem6\" data-start=\"3391\" data-end=\"3413\">Related Articles<\/h3>\n<ul data-start=\"3414\" data-end=\"3436\">\n<li data-section-id=\"z3yw9l\" data-start=\"3414\" data-end=\"3436\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.lovesail.com\/ls-news\/sailing-barometers\/\">Sailing Barometers<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr data-start=\"3438\" data-end=\"3441\" \/>\n<p data-start=\"3443\" data-end=\"3558\">Visit <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lovesail.com\">Lovesail.com<\/a> to meet other passionate sailing enthusiasts for dating, friendships, and crewing opportunities.<img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"9493\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.lovesail.com\/ls-news\/sailing-word-search\/new-logo-2025-main\/#main\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lovesail.com\/ls-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/new-logo-2025-Main.jpg?fit=300%2C70&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"300,70\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"new logo 2025 Main\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lovesail.com\/ls-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/new-logo-2025-Main.jpg?fit=300%2C70&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-9493\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lovesail.com\/ls-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/new-logo-2025-Main.jpg?resize=300%2C70&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"lovesail\" width=\"300\" height=\"70\" \/><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What Are Sextants? Sextants are traditional navigation instruments used by sailors to determine their position at sea. Long before GPS, sextants allowed navigators to calculate latitude and longitude using the Sun, Moon, stars, and the horizon.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":10128,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[6479],"tags":[523,527,526,3888,524,778,525,521,522,528],"class_list":["post-3202","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-discover","tag-barometers","tag-gps","tag-location","tag-maritime-navigation","tag-nautical-instrumentation","tag-navigation","tag-postion","tag-sextant","tag-sextants","tag-suns-position"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.4 (Yoast SEO v27.4) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Sextants Explained: How They Work &amp; Why Sailors Still Use Them<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Learn how sextants work, their history in navigation, and why sailors still rely on sextants today as a backup to GPS | Lovesail\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.lovesail.com\/ls-news\/sextants\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Sextants\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"What Are Sextants? 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