Ozdork if you are ever in Tassie I would be pleased to show you how to use that Davis sextant. It will take all of 30 minutes to master it.
For what it's worth, the Davis Mark 2 (the one with the vernier scale) is quite adequate for use on a small boat. In fact easier to hold than heavy metal jobbies when all is pitching and tossing, and if you do drop it in the drink it won't break the bank.
As for tables, a guy named Prof. Bennett from one of our Aussie Universities published his own version of an almanac good for (I think) 10 years. Once you can get a reasonable sight with the sextant, and have accurate time, all you need is Bennett's Almanac and an ability to add and subtract.
Forget the theory......just follow the directions in the Almanac.
As for the bodies, start with sun, moon and planets. Stars are not as useful as you would hope, because you need a clear horizon and by the time most stars are visible, the horizon is not. However, Sirius usually rises early enough and it is nice to know the easily identifiable stars in the Southern Cross and Orion's Belt.
Last edited by Mach E Avelli; 20th Jul 2014 at 08:42.