Prairie 29 Radar arch?

[cappy208]

Anyone got any pics of a P 29 with a radar arch? Either forward facing, aft facing or vertical????? I'm thinking of adding a Radar, and looking into arches vs mast. Any thoughts? Including a front and rear visor would be a help too to get rid of the bimini.

ala Uni- Arch Visor Combo "Free Shipping"

 

[Baker]

I think it would be awfully funy looking!

 

[Nomad Willy]

I don't think that's a radar arch but it could be if it was capable of handling the load and windage.

I made my own out of SS railing stanchions and a nice piece of Douglas Fir. Oil/varnished it but recently painted it w medium flat white house paint. It is'nt curved as an arch usually is but is FAR more user friendly when one mounts equipment on So far I'm happy w it. It actually looks better white. I have radar on CL w GPS ant to port and VHF to stbd. I made it high enough to get a dinghy underneath. Radar is mounted on a painted long shaft extension housing for old OMC outboards.

 

[cappy208]

Please forgive my artwork.....

Of course its not to scale, but its hard enough to make the pics slide together that looks close.

Is it too garish? I'm thinking it make be a bit much for a 37 yr old girl.

But I don't want a stayed mast up, or to stick the scanner on the front of the FB.

I do have an old sailboat mast I was contemplating cutting down and mounting on the Port rail, unstayed. Just high enough to get above the Bimini.

 

[Nomad Willy]

Looks good to me cappy,
Do you ever go under bridges or other low clearence things?
Probably not or you would'nt consider this.
Go for it.

 

[CaptTom]

Option 1 is much better looking, IMHO.

I've seriously considered a lightweight hard top. There's a company that sells them, and I've heard good things. I believe it's called hard to top dot com.

That would give you a place to mount a number of things, including solar panels, as well as provide better sun shade and weather protection.

My biggest fear for any of this would be to make that Prairie hull any more "rolly" by moving the center of gravity up. Which argues in favor of your arch.

 

[cappy208]

@CaptTom. The increase in roll is why I asked to see if anyone else has done this.

By my WAG calculations a arch and fwd and aft awnings plus radar would add approximately 200lbs 7' high. Versus the 80 lb Bimini currently installed. So a 120 lb increase up that high would effect the stability.

Even putting the radar up on a mast. Would add 50 lbs. (but not all the weight would be 7' high). The scanner is 18lbs. And the mast 28. Plus wiring. Re thinking it, The radar on a mast plus the Bimini would equal 130. That's only 70 shy of the arch and awnings weight.

@NomadWilly. The one bridge I couldn't use would be once a season in New Bedford. But that means just waiting for hourly openings. Other than that I have no bridge issues.

 

[Nomad Willy]

Probably be a DECREASE in roll.

And the windage will reduce the roll even more. Seems to me I recall the Prairie is a very wide boat. A lot of the time the extra beam will make her MORE rolly. The sides of a boat is what starts the roll.

 

[cappy208]

Just got off phone. The official weight of the arch plus front and back visors (including fabric) is 160. Plus the scanner. 180 total. Let me ponder this for a bit.

 

[Heron]

FWIW, here's my custom Radar tower:

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[Nomad Willy]

Heron seems to have the simplest solution to the problem.