Radar pole placement on PSC 37?

[Seacurves]

Well I just closed on a PSC 37 in the Great Lakes area. Pretty, pretty boat! But you all know that.

Since I expect to do night sailing I plan to add radar with radar pole and a motor lift arm (dinghy motors are a bit heavy for me to maneuver otherwise). Any recommendations on placement and structural options, ideally with pictures, on what has worked or not worked from other PSC 37 owners? My thinking was to not block off the possibility of adding a windvane in the future, so probably a radar pole that was not centered in the stern would be part of the criteria.

Would appreciate any recommendations my fellow PSC 37 owners have!!

seacurves

[Faster]

Have you considered a backstay mount like this one?

[Seacurves]

I had looked at this option while browsing Google images. Certainly a possibility. Do you have any idea how well this really works given radar wiring, radar weight, and of course one would need to solve the motor lift issue separately? Also, there are some sailnet.com comments on the backstay mounted radar that are not that positive, for all the issues I noted and more.

Nonetheless, it definitely seems to have a less intrusive appearance!

[arisatx]

Originally Posted by Seacurves

Well I just closed on a PSC 37 in the Great Lakes area. Pretty, pretty boat! But you all know that.

Since I expect to do night sailing I plan to add radar with radar pole and a motor lift arm (dinghy motors are a bit heavy for me to maneuver otherwise). Any recommendations on placement and structural options, ideally with pictures, on what has worked or not worked from other PSC 37 owners? My thinking was to not block off the possibility of adding a windvane in the future, so probably a radar pole that was not centered in the stern would be part of the criteria.

Would appreciate any recommendations my fellow PSC 37 owners have!!

seacurves

Seacurves:

Congratulations! You will grow to love your boat even more as you get to know her.

Sorry - can't be of much help on your radar pole question.

Regards,
Ted

[quanyin]

If I was successful in posting the picture, this may be what you describe. It's a powder coated aluminum pole (3 inch diameter, I believe) with an Edson arm for lifting the outboard. In addition to the radome, the pole also serves as a mount for gps and cockpit vhf antenna.
We really liked it and put a similar rig on our 40.
Paul

[Seacurves]

Very nice! Looks like the kind of thing I am going after. Do you have more details like what struts are used for structural integrity and did you have the radar pole inside or outside the lifelines? I know I am asking for a lot but no sense not asking and re-learning anything is my hope.

Very appreciated!! A great looking solution.

Seacurves

[quanyin]

We sold the boat about three years ago, so this is from my memory banks which are not as functional as they should be. There was a teak "cup" epoxied to the inside of the hull. The bottom of the pole rested upon the cup. A hole was drilled through the deck on the port side of the stern locker and a collar was placed around the spot where the pole came through the deck. The strut part is an area of uncertainty for me. I am certain that there were a couple of struts to the railing at appropriate angles for optimal support, but there may have been one down to the deck also.
We were very careful to to place it too close to the stern cleat so it would have full functionality and have room for a couple of dock lines. The present owner of the boat is from the Chicago area, and if I'm not mistaken, the boat is still in local waters, in Anacortes, Washington. If he's a visitor of this site, perhaps he'll give more details.

As I mentioned earlier, we have a very similar set up with our present boat, a PS 40.

As you're well aware, there are tradeoffs on every decision regarding a boat. We have acquaintances who chose to solve the problem with an arch, and it is an attractive installation with room for solar panels, and I suppose a wind generator.

One thing you may want to investigate regarding placement of a pole is whether it will interfere with a sling lifting your boat. That wasn't the case with our 37, but our 40 has to be pulled by a much larger lift because of the pole's position, and not the boat's size. I hadn't thought of that before we were hauled out.

If you wish, I'll send more detailed pictures of the 40's installation.

Good luck,

Paul

[Seacurves]

All great inputs, Paul! Thank you very much for the details. I also do not want to limit functionality at the stern so I will be careful to watch for this possibility.

If you happen to have some pics of your PS 40's radar set-up I could certainly make use of them, at least as much as I can apply to my PSC 37. But I am also asking a lot so I understand if pics are not forthcoming.

Again, thank you! I now have a fair amount to work with.

Seacurves

[quanyin]

You betcha, Seacurves. I think the our pole and arm was made by Seaview. I'll be up at the boat this week, and I'll try to remember to take some pics.
Paul

[JiffyLube]

Originally Posted by Seacurves

I had looked at this option while browsing Google images. Certainly a possibility. Do you have any idea how well this really works given radar wiring, radar weight, and of course one would need to solve the motor lift issue separately? Also, there are some sailnet.com comments on the backstay mounted radar that are not that positive, for all the issues I noted and more.

Nonetheless, it definitely seems to have a less intrusive appearance!

We don't have the type of sailboat that you have, but we went with the backstay setup. You'll hear some people talk down the backstay rig, but I think those people are just speculating that they are inherently problematic. There is very little weight on the backstay using this setup, as most all the weight is really on the pole attached to the boat. I have a heavy duty backstay unit made my Questus with a self-leveler, and I can attest it is a very sturdy way of supporting a radome low on the boat.