Hailer Location?

[BayMan]

The salesman talked me into a hailing horn to go with my new VHF. Now I am wondering where to locate it. My first thought was to mount it on the arch but then it would be blasting right in my ear and would likely get hit with the boom. The mast? I have a radar dome just above the first spreaders- above or below that (above has less chance of fouling the jib sheets, but even close below is probably high enough to avoid them)?. Your advice would be appreciated.

 

[Anonymous 121765]

Maybe I'm just old school but, I have a hand held you-blow-into-it signal horn.
It never fails, loses power, or gets in the way. When I use it, it is very loud & hurts my ears.
If I have to abandon ship, I can take it with me (batteries not included).
Another option is a compressed air horn.

But hey, that's just me. The way I see it, the more you rely on technology that depends on power, the greater the chances of failing you when you need it the most.

CR

 

[Kings Gambit]

Regrettably, I don't think there is any good permanent place for one on a sailboat. I bought one myself a couple of years ago for when there is fog about. It says stowed below unless I need it; then I take it up and strap it temporarily to the mast and juice it to the control box using those two-wire "bayonet" connectors like the ones that are used for trailer lights. I run the wire out through a Dorade box to the above deck to feed the horn. Works fine; takes only a few minutes to set up and use. The rest of the time--i.e., most all of the time-- it's out of the way.

 

[jssailem]

One idea is to not fix mount it. When do you think you will use it?
I have one that I want to use in fog. Automated signaling of fog signal, a nice feature of some of the VHF radios. So hailer gets stored in the cabin all wired ready to go. When needed the wire gets unwound, connected to the radio, the hailer gets secured to the bow, and the horn is started sending the sound out where it is needed (saving my hearing). The hailer also functions as a pa listening to noise from off the bow.

 

[LeslieTroyer]

Mine is on the coach house, wires run thru the dorade boxes. It was on the boat when I bought it. I've seen fog close in quickly - I can select it from the remote mike back by the helm.

 

[BayMan]

Yeah, on those air horns. He was a slick fast talking salesman.
The removable option sounds good. But I woke up to fog today and it would be nice not to have to scramble to get the auto fog horn working.

 

[All U Get]

Ours were on the boat mounted above the first spreader. Use it in thick fog and it already helped with two incidents. However I did break one while climbing the mast. I've also used ours to contact smaller boats, fishermen, and fuel docks with the PA feature.

All U Get

 

[whatfiero]

Anchor locker or on a suction cup mount to pull out the front hatch

 

[jssailem]

to contact smaller boats, fishermen, and fuel docks

Guessing they love to hear a voice coming out of the air summoning them.

I'm securing the horn that is attached to a piece of star board to a bow cleat angled towards the water. Was told sound bouncing off water carries better. Fog generally is flat seas so do not expect to see the hailed damaged from the experience.