Object Name: Sextant

Object ID: 64.654

Date: circa 1957

Description: This object is a replication of an 18th-century sextant created by Kelvin & Hughes for Mayflower II's crossing in 1957. The sextant is a navigational tool used to measure the distance between the horizon and a celestial body such as the sun, moon, or a distant star in order to determine latitude and longitude. Although this sextant was created for the 1957 sail, the original navigators on Mayflower in 1620 would have used the cross-staff, the sextant's predecessor, for navigation, as the sextant only came into use in the 18th-century. However, the sextant was used in 1957 as part of the requirements for the sail.