Mizzen height

[Mainstreet]

Hi folks. My wife are fresh out of the box Morgan 462 owners! We bought the boat on the gulf coast and are bringing her up to the Great Lakes on her own bottom via the Tenn Tom. I was hoping to leave the mizzen mast up for the trip to permit operation of my radar. I don't know the air draft of the mizzen or the minimum clearance under fixed bridges on the way from Mobile to Chicago. Looking for help.

Calico Joe

[HappyMdRSailor]

Welcome to CF Joe !

Congrats on the boat, and anticipated voyage home... Overheard guesstimate on air draft requirement for the TennTomm to Mobile is about 52'... There's a bunch here that are familiar with the inland systems, hopefully they'll chime in...

Let's see if we can figure out your mizzen draft...

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, Joe.

[Mainstreet]

Thanks, Happy! Looking forward to some comments and hopefully some answers form experienced folks who have done what I'd like to try.

[Mainstreet]

Thanks, Gord. It's a pleasure to be here!

[HappyMdRSailor]

From SailboatData
MORGAN 462 sailboat specifications and details on sailboatdata.com

Your air draft (mast height from the water) is 56.5'
Your P (mainsail luff) =43.25', Your PY (mizzen luff) = 26.5'

Judging from pics of identical boom heights...
Doing the simple math, 43.25-26.5=16.75 ... Or mizzen is 16.75' shorter than the main...

56.5'-16.75'= 39.75'

But the only thing I've ever trusted for a mast height measurement it a tape...

[Mainstreet]

Yep! I agree. I've found that rigs vary considerably from published data. I'm going to use the old "tape" method as you suggest for air draft determination but my big concern is how that factual mizzen air draft works with all that rusty old iron suspended above the rivers I'll be sailing on😀

[HappyMdRSailor]

Originally Posted by Mainstreet

Yep! I agree. I've found that rigs vary considerably from published data. I'm going to use the old "tape" method as you suggest for air draft determination but my big concern is how that factual mizzen air draft works with all that rusty old iron suspended above the rivers I'll be sailing on😀

Or you can "count time" when you drop something aloft to put a nice ding in the deck... I usually only get to ...

"Aww Shi.... and never even get to start the mississippi's"

We're at the North end of the TennTom... make sure you stop by for a drink !

[Mainstreet]

Thanks to both Gord and Happy. I found the definitive answer to my question of whether I can leave the mizzen mast up on the trip. The bridge just south of Chicago has a 19' 1" clearance. So... The mizzen is coming off!

[UNCIVILIZED]

FWIW, it's pretty easy to rig up a standard type pole to mount your radar on. The bigger pain in doing such, is doing the wiring. But even that's no big deal. Especially as having radar is a BIG perk.

[Mainstreet]

Thanks, uncivilized! I'm considering doing just that. When I get to the yard to yank both masts, I'll look at the wire harness and connections and maybe set up the transmitter/receiver antenna on a bracket on, of all things, my "Radar Arch"! Which now acts as the support for my solar panels and my dinghy davits.