Sextant — Davis Mark 3

Essential Training Sextant • Proven “Lifeboat” Design

The Davis Mark 3 Sextant is a full-size, no-nonsense navigation instrument designed for learning, practice, and emergency preparedness. Often referred to as a “lifeboat sextant”, it strips celestial navigation back to the essentials—robust, lightweight, and reliable—yet this very model has carried sailors safely around the world.

Manufactured by Davis Instruments, the Mark 3 is trusted by sailing schools, offshore cruisers, and traditional navigators who value simplicity and resilience over complexity.

⚓ Purpose-Built Simplicity

The Mark 3 is intentionally straightforward. It is full-sized and properly proportioned, giving learners the correct feel and handling of a traditional sextant, but without optical magnification. This makes it easier to understand the fundamentals of sight-taking while keeping the instrument light, durable, and affordable.

• No telescope — direct sighting keeps technique simple

• Full frame size — realistic handling for proper training

• Minimal components — fewer parts to damage or misalign

While faint stars are more challenging without magnification, the Mark 3 excels for solar sights, bright stars, and daytime practice.

☀️ Core Features

• 🌍 Full-size sextant frame — stable and well balanced

• 🌞 Multiple sunshades — reduces glare during bright sun observations

• 🪞 Traditional horizon mirror system — classic celestial alignment method

• 🧱 Rugged plastic construction — corrosion-proof and impact resistant

• 📘 Instruction booklet included — ready for immediate learning

Its tough construction and low replacement cost are why it is often specified as an emergency or backup sextant aboard offshore vessels.

🧭 Ideal Learning & Backup Instrument

The Mark 3 is widely used by:

• Sailing schools teaching the fundamentals of celestial navigation

• Cruisers wanting a simple, dependable backup to electronic systems

• Lifeboats and grab-bags where reliability and weight matter

• Navigators who value traditional seamanship skills

By removing complexity, the Mark 3 encourages good technique—steady holding, careful alignment, and sound calculations.

📦 What’s Included

• Davis Mark 3 Sextant

• Instruction booklet

🎯 Ideal For

• 🔰 Beginners learning celestial navigation

• 🏫 Sailing schools & training programs

• ⛵ Offshore sailors seeking a reliable backup

• 🧭 Traditional navigation enthusiasts

Important: This item is supplied to order.
Please allow up to 10 working days for delivery.

The Davis Mark 3 Sextant proves that simplicity works. It’s affordable, dependable, and time-tested—an honest navigation instrument that teaches the fundamentals and stands ready when technology fails.

A true seaman’s backup. A perfect place to begin.