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Thread: SSB Seminar - request for ideas for presentation

  1. #11
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Santa Rosa
    Posts
    644

    Default Wyliecat transom probs.

    Brian & Bill, The boom isn't the problem; the main sheet is - especially during a jibe. When the boom's in the full "run" position, there's about 35' of sheet. During a jibe, this line whips across the aft end of the boat. It's impossible to sheet in during the jibe - it's almost a "you gotta see it" sort of thing. Matter of fact, you're invited to join me for the SYC (1/3), GGYC (1/9),or CYC (1/16/17) to see in person. A Ham on the East Coast has suggested an 8.5 foot CB antenna on the bow. I may try that. But it will still need a counter-poise, and that's the big problem in a boat with no engine or thru hulls. Thanks, Pat

  2. #12
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    Alameda CA
    Posts
    174

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by P. Broderick - Elaine View Post
    SNIP A Ham on the East Coast has suggested an 8.5 foot CB antenna on the bow. I may try that. But it will still need a counter-poise, and that's the big problem in a boat with no engine or thru hulls. Thanks, Pat
    Hey Pat, the best antenna choice for a Wliecat is the rope antenna http://www.ropeantenna.com/
    (a wire fed up through the core of a halyard) using a spare halyard on the front of the mast.

    The ground to use will be the forward most keel bolt That big steel fin with the massive metal bulb on the bottom ought to be way more coupling to sea water than an engine and a through hull.

    There is a lot of "contempt prior to investigation" in the concept of just using your Wyliecat keel as the ground plane. Try it anyway, please. If it is not adequate, the look at adding a Dynaplate as well.

    John Foster
    Blueberry, Nonsuch 22 Sail #48

  3. #13
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    37.205346,-121.963398
    Posts
    788

    Default sloping the antenna - an advantage

    Quote Originally Posted by Ergo View Post
    I used a 17' SSB whip antenna in 2004 and it worked well. I mounted it perpendicular to the deck at the stern. I don't think it would be a problem to angle it back.

    Bill Merrick
    Hi Bill,

    Actually sloping the antenna should be advantageous for fleet check in with boats within 300 miles or so. For distances beyond that, say for sail mail when one is several days out, a more vertical antenna may be slightly better.

    Brian

  4. #14
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Posts
    3,688

    Default

    Pat, this may also be one of those offshore "adjustments" we make in our sailing technique/habits.

    You won't be gybing that often and due to surfing, you will probably have a preventer rigged anyway. BTW, I'm guessing the preventers on your boat would go from the tip of the wishbone to the tip of the bow to get as much angle as possible.

    Gybing won't be the same as what you're used to - it may take you a half-hour to get around to gybing once the thought crosses your mind! There's usually plenty of time to remove the preventer, pull the slack out of the mainsheet, and then pull some in while you are bringing the boat around.

    Once you get down the track and into squall land, you might sail a couple of degrees higher during the night to lessen the risk of an unintentional gybe. Racing solo, I would also switch the autopilot to wind vane mode if I was taking a nap. When a squall hits the wind will veer 15 degrees or so, enough to gybe the boat if the autopilot is in compass (normal) mode.

    Revised gybing technique and a carefully-placed and robust antenna mount should solve the problem.

  5. #15
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    Alameda CA
    Posts
    174

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by BobJ View Post
    Pat, this may also be one of those offshore "adjustments" we make in our sailing technique/habits.....SNIP......Revised gybing technique and a carefully-placed and robust antenna mount should solve the problem.
    Hi Bob:
    Gybing in heavy wind in a cat rigged boat is quite likely to rip off any objects protruding above or towards the stern from the shelter of the push pit rails.

    You can't sheet in fast enough to prevent this, though grabbing a hand full of the multiple parts of the main sheet, pulling them in and hurling them towards the new leeward side will occasionally help to prevent the "rip off" from happening.

    Mounting an antenna on the pull pit at the bow, instead of the push pit at the stern avoids such "rip off" hazards. Same applies to radar radome mounting. Ripping a Life Sling bag off the push pit, during a gybe, is knowledge gained in much the same way you learn not to try to carry a pussy cat by the tail.

    John Foster
    Blueberry, Nonsuch 22, sail #48

  6. #16
    Join Date
    May 2009
    Location
    Novato
    Posts
    122

    Default Not so elegant

    Here's a thought... although, I'll preface it by saying it's not an elegant solution. If the antenna is meant to be temporary (for the race only), it could be sort of portable, too: one could make a mount on the stern so that, with enough slack in the cable, a whip antenna could be quickly lowered to the side deck and later raised again into position. Then either lower it before gybing, or instead, raise it before each check-in.

  7. #17
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    37.205346,-121.963398
    Posts
    788

    Default Bow Antenna - sounds good

    Hi Pat,
    John's idea sounds good. We rigged a 34' sport boat and a SC 27 for the Pac Cup with kevlar backstays by sliding a #16 wire under the backstay cover. The keel bolts were used as the connection to the water. Communication was great. So running a spare halyard up front with a wire internal to the line would do the job.

    A 8' CB whip is really short for 4 MHz, you will have lots of losses in the tuner in that setup. I would highly recommend doubling the antenna length. Thats not to say you wouldn't transmit a signal, but just it might be very hard to be heard.

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