Hi,
I have been looking through various photos of Masthead units (wind transducer) and noticed that many have placed them on the Mizzen mast. It is my understanding that the clean air from the main would be a better placement. Can anyone share there thoughts or experiences with this?
The masthead instruments are easier to get at and to connect on the mizzen, though you are correct that they might be more accurate on the main. Fitting them with the VHF aerial and the masthead lights would make the main quite crowded, otherwise.
Gerald
Thanks Gerald!
You were right it is a bit crowded on the top of the main. Will build a bracket to place in it just below the mast plate.
Rather poor quality picture of the mast heads on Castaway; it’s cropped from a nice picture of the whole boat moored up. As you can see, the wind instruments (B&G) project forward of the mizzen, about 4m (12 feet+) aft of the leech of the main at that height, so there is little effect of the mainsail on them. The mizzen also carries the radar transponder and a spare VHF antenna; used for AIS. They are below the line of the masthead lights, unless you are close up astern.
Have fun putting your bracket on. I see from another recent thread (VHF aerial on F33 CK) that a correspondent is thinking to send a child up the mast for ease of winching; shades of ‘The Waterbabies’, but cleaner than a chimney, I expect!
Gerald
