Additions to the mast.

[Sneaky Pete]

Hello all. I have the mast off just now lying on trestles. On the mast is deck light, radar reflector, VHF ariel through the hawk fitting, wind speed, and an anchor light.
What would you additionally add to the mast or upgrade that could be used in the not-too-distant future.

thanks

 

[wingcommander]

I put home made mast steps...they are great for retrieving halyards that get tangled around the mast steps.

 

[Kwik Decision]

Personally I'd like a decent LED tricolour at the top of the mast, either combined with the anchor light, or instead of it.

 

[RunAgroundHard]

FLIR camera, or the new AI cameras, Echomax or equivalent and ditch the radar reflector, tricolor because in rough weather they can be better than lower navigation lights, ditch the anchor light, port and starboard signal halyards, and burgee halyard, a radome.

You don’t say what your budget is.

 

[Fr J Hackett]

A tricolour to start with, then it depends on budget and size of boat but a radome and bracket.

 

[rogerthebodger]

I would concur with fitting mast steps. Mine are glass filled folding steps with 2 at the top for easy working

 

[Poignard]

A crow's nest.

So you can keep an eye out for them pesky orcas.

 

[MontyMariner]

AIS antenna

 

[chris-s]

Spinaker crane

 

[LittleSister]

Steaming light (though if under 7m(?) your mast-head anchor light will serve as a combined steaming light and stern light).

Agree mast-head tri-colour, but as an addition to your existing masthead anchor light. (I value having a masthead anchor light, if only to have on while I'm getting checking I'm not dragging after anchoring, getting sorted and then rigging up a 'portable' anchor light above the deck (fore or aft).)

(Plus a crew that understand which are and which are not acceptable combinations of lights in which situations, alternatively a rotary switch that only allows the relevant combinations, and indicates which are for sailing, steaming, anchoring, etc.)

 

[Roberto]

Retroreflective tape over the radar reflector or mast, here with camera flash at about 50m distance; one of the various ways to identify your boat at anchor when there are many others around

 

[rogerthebodger]

A crow's nest.

So you can keep an eye out for them pesky orcas.

View attachment 195835

If you design a sliding crow's nest it can be hoisted up the mast track or in my case the spanker pole track on the front of the mast

https://flic.kr/p/WYQrjP

You may just be able to see my crow's nest at the upper part of my forward mast

 

[Rappey]

Can you be hauled up in the crows nest? If not how do you get to it?

 

[rogerthebodger]

Can you be hauled up in the crows nest? If not how do you get to it?

I have never tried to be hauled up in the crow's nest.

On mine I have a hinged flap as the base, so I climb up my mast steps from the front of the mast and open the hinged base into the crows nets then close the base.

Going down is the reverse open base and climb down the mast steps

 

[doug748]

I would replace the anchor light with a tricolour - with luck you might be able to swap the lens. I would fit an LED bulb and carry a spare.

I would not fit steps or any form of LED array. Biffo.

.

 

[Laminar Flow]

Frankly and depending on the boat and it's size, I'd do the math before hanging more stuff on the mast.
I know of at least one boat of 43' that was completely ruined by adding "more" things, including furlers on jib and main, double head stays, radar, mast steps, etc., etc.. The smaller and lighter the boat, the greater the risk.

 

[dolabriform]

Fog horn