Next message: Pierre Boucher: "Re: Clarification of Question regarding LAN"
Doug, allow me to suggest a speculation. Most people are right-handed,
including navigators. Most people are also right-eye dominant, IIRC. So it
would make sense to hold the sextant in the stronger arm, and use the
dominant eye for viewing. Normal practice of leaving the "other" eye open
for the wider view would then leave the left eye with an unobstructed field
of view.
Putting the handle on top WOULD make sense...but I think it would also
impede normal use. Personally I don't find it is a problem, I just pick it
up by the frame and then transfer it to my right hand. I suppose a set of
extra legs could easily be added to the frame, i.e. to extend in the clear
to the busy side of the sextant so it could be put down either way. But that
of course would add more weight.<G>