Mast height and KVH

[Capt Paul]

I am considering cutting a foot or two off of the top of my mast so I can fit under a covered slip. I am also considering switching the KVH antenna, which is on top of the mast, and my radar is in front of it at the crossbars because the radar is much shorter than the KVH. It sure appears to me that it would have a pretty good view of the sky but KVH says it should always be all the way on top. But of course I expect them to say that. Ray Marine probably also says the same thing for their radar. So, does anyone have any good opinions or information about this placement?

 

[Capt Paul]

Hopefully, here is a picture.

 

[Boatsb]

First the kvh needs a clear view of the sky.
Second the radar needs a clear view of the horizon for 360 degrees or the best you can get.

The kvk can nit be in the beam of the radar or it will have issues and blackouts.

The radar is unaffected by the kvh except for the signal being blocked by its metal parts.
Bringing the kvh lower will improve its ability to track and lower the level of movement from rocking.
The radar Should be shooting over the people and not through them.

 

[Capt Paul]

OK then I guess I need to leave them where they are. I'll just consider whether I can just cut it and take some height out at the crossbar.

Thanks for the response. Exactly what I wanted to know.

 

[tonytrakovich]

There will be no watching TV while in your slip if it is covered.

 

[SKYCHENEY]

There will be no watching TV while in your slip if it is covered.

Haha, good point, so why not just fold it down?

 

[Capt Paul]

Well, I suppose i'll get another dish and mount it on the dock. Then, in the slip I just hook it up as if I had cable. The reason I don't fold it down is that there is nowhere to put a cradle because of the dingy. The mast is on a hinge but no way to support it without a cradle.

 

[SKYCHENEY]

Can you just lay it on the dink?

 

[Capt Paul]

Can you just lay it on the dink?

Hmm. Well it wouldn't lay flat but still at an angle and I don't think I'd feel good about not really having it secured. Thanks for the idea, that's exactly why I posted the question. I'll take a look tomorrow to try to determine if there is a way to do it like that.

 

[cb48lrc]

Paul
What is your vertical clearance? On ours it 28 ft, your mats just looks higher. Our dink mounts port to stb so we can lay the mast down on a cradle.

 

[Beachcomber]

Paul,
Here is the arrangement on our boat and both systems work fine.

 

[Capt Paul]

Wow. Interesting. Thanks so much for posting those pics.

 

[Capt Paul]

Paul
What is your vertical clearance? On ours it 28 ft, your mats just looks higher. Our dink mounts port to stb so we can lay the mast down on a cradle.

I really am not sure what the height is. It's kind of hard to measure without laying the mast down. However, I just sent my dingy off to have the fire damage fixed. I may try to lay it down and measure. Any reason I shouldn't be able to handle it myself?

My other thought was to ease up into the slip with the highest roof and judge how much needs to come off.

My dingy sits forward/aft. That's why the cradle won't work.

 

[tonytrakovich]

Make sure you allow for tide change. Especially ultra high or storm tides.

 

[Capt Paul]

Make sure you allow for tide change. Especially ultra high or storm tides.

Great thought and thanks but I have floating docks and am on the Tennessee River.

 

[MikeP]

I raise/lower our hinged mast every time we go in/out of our covered slip. When we moved to the covered slip in 2007, I made up a small block/tackle that quickly connects to the mast and to the forward sections of the SS rails at each side of the flybridge. That line was connected as a "V" to one end of the block. The mast can be easily raised or lowered by one person and can be tied off to hold the mast in the lowered position in the the slip. I did that for several years.

Last year I revised it and currently, I lower it by hand and then attach the davit hook to it so that the davit holds it in place. Obviously, if you don't have a davit in the right location, that's not a solution. But I can raise/lower the mast/connect it to the davit with no assistance. The mast on our boat has a "counterbalance spring" which is actually made using bungee-chord material inside the mast itself which is what makes lifting/lowering the mast by hand possible. It works really well - I think it's a Marquipt mast but I don't know for sure - it was installed on the boat when new by Hatteras of Lauderdale before delivery to the original owner.

But the block/tackle thing worked really well and its only disadvantage, as far as I was concerned, was that in the slip you had to duck under the lines if doing work up on the flybridge.

 

[Pete]

To solve the exact same problem, in my case of getting under the sheds of the Atlantic Yacht Basin in Great Bridge, VA, the mast was hinged just above the spreader and set up with a single line to lower it to horizontal. As a second thought, KVH TV domes do not like being out of operational positions, so I would suggest a check with KVH before storing the unit on its side for extended periods. FYI our KVH dome is on a separate 4 foot mast located on the starboard aft corner of the boat deck.

Pete

 

[cb48lrc]

I also use a block and tackle, connected to a pad eye below the bridge steering wheel, 2-1 ratio works fine. Two people makes it easer, but one cind do it.

 

[Capt Paul]

I raise/lower our hinged mast every time we go in/out of our covered slip. When we moved to the covered slip in 2007, I made up a small block/tackle that quickly connects to the mast and to the forward sections of the SS rails at each side of the flybridge. That line was connected as a "V" to one end of the block. The mast can be easily raised or lowered by one person and can be tied off to hold the mast in the lowered position in the the slip. I did that for several years.

Last year I revised it and currently, I lower it by hand and then attach the davit hook to it so that the davit holds it in place. Obviously, if you don't have a davit in the right location, that's not a solution. But I can raise/lower the mast/connect it to the davit with no assistance. The mast on our boat has a "counterbalance spring" which is actually made using bungee-chord material inside the mast itself which is what makes lifting/lowering the mast by hand possible. It works really well - I think it's a Marquipt mast but I don't know for sure - it was installed on the boat when new by Hatteras of Lauderdale before delivery to the original owner.

But the block/tackle thing worked really well and its only disadvantage, as far as I was concerned, was that in the slip you had to duck under the lines if doing work up on the flybridge.

So, you just left the mast hanging at an angle from the block and tackle? Because my mast is hinged and I have a block and tackle setup to lower it even though I have not done it yet. It just seems to me that I'd need some firm cradle to support it. Also I'd need to see if it would hurt the KVH to be stored at an angle. Obviously I'd turn it off.