Radar Mount

When we decided to install a new Raymarine c127 radar and chartplotter unit we needed somewhere to mount the radome. As with most things in the marine marketplace there were many options to choose from, including mast mount and stern pole set-ups, with both fixed and self leveling brackets, and there also seem to be as many varying opinions on which is best and why as there are products to choose from! After some research and observations of other installations we decided on a Questus self leveling pole mount unit, on the port leg of the split backstay.

Our reasoning? We didn't want any additional obstacles on the mast when tacking our 130 genoa, which can be a handful at times. We didn't want any more weight aloft than absolutely necessary. We thought a self leveling unit would make for better target definition. We thought the Questus pole looked clean and simple, using the backstay for support rather than the separate bracing legs of a vertical pole. (We already have one vertical pole with braces for the Superwind generator and another would mean a very cluttered stern). We believe that pole mounted units give better short range views than a mast mounted unit....we aren't too concerned what is going on 10 - 12 miles away. We knew that our neighbour 2 slips away really likes his Questus. We know at least one other Freeport owner who also likes his Questus and, last but not least, we got a killer deal on the floor model at the 'Strictly Sail' expo. Time will tell if we have made the right call, but it is a well established product with a good reputation so we have 'Great Expectations'! 

The installation is very well described in the manual and on the Questus website and was fairly straightforward. The pole can be mounted in any one of 6 configurations dependent on the boat backstay and user preference. We originally planned to mount the Questus with the backstay led inside the pole but this required fabrication of a custom stainless steel adapter for the chainplate clevis, something that is discussed in the installation instructions. We would have to contract such an adapter out to $$omeone so, in the end, we elected to mount the pole forward of the backstay. This also required a custom mounting pad for the pole support bracket but we felt we could handle that ourselves. A further benefit of the forward location is that there is nothing to hinder access to the chainplate clevis and the turnbuckle if we need to remove/adjust etc.

This bracket supports the pole base. On boats with a single, central backstay the bracket sits squarely on the transom or deck and can be easily fastened as supplied. With the Freeport's split backstay, the pole sits at an angle, so a custom adapter pad needs to be built to provide support.

This shot shows the angle between the mounting bracket and the Freeport cap rail. In order to fasten the bracket to the transom a wedge shaped spacer is needed under the bracket.

Close up shot of bracket relative to the cap rail.

While searching for a suitable piece of teak to make the spacer we remembered the old 3/4" thick hatch boards from the companionway were still in our storage unit......ideal. Here is the 'sacrificial' board, marked up and ready for the jigsaw.

The roughed out spacer in a simple router guide ready to cut the angle.

The spacer under the mounting bracket for a trial fitting. It still needs a little more shaved off,

Because the top face of the cap rail is convex, the spacer also had to be 'contoured' to suit. This shot shows some 80 grit sandpaper taped to the cap rail to cut the exact profile of the rail into the base of the spacer.

Final assembly of bracket. The bottom surface of the spacer is now a nice flush fit. Side Note: (The cotter pin missing  in the turnbuckle was because we had been fussing with it while trying the backstay routed through the pole)

Our decision to locate the pole forward of the backstay meant that we had some interference with the bimini where the backstay passes through.

We had to remove the bimini cover and take it to a canvas shop  to have the port side backstay aperture opened up slightly.

With the pole installation complete we were able to pull the radar and GPS cables through, slip some split sheathing over them, and tidy things up a bit.

Yet another cable clam on the transom!

Here is the finished mount with the radome and GPS antenna in place. The next part of the project will be the upgrades to the helm station so we can install a large pod to house the radar/chartplotter display. Stay tuned!