Arch Lift

     When the boat was shipped from Charlotte, the yard had to remove the radar arch, and secure it on the bow of the boat. Easy for them to do with 4 or 5 guys. When the boat arrived at my shop, I used an electric winch, secured to the peak of my EMT structure, to lower the arch to the ground. I brought it inside for the winter, so I could clean it up and prepare to reinstall it. So, to perform the lift, my brother and I made up a rope harness, and kept adjusting the lengths of the ropes until the arch hung just as it would once installed. Then, I used the backhoe to lift it into place:

     Once it was hanging an inch or so above the mounting pad, I applied polysulfide sealant, and we carefully lowered the arch into position. There are 4 bolts on each side, and each of them has an associated backing plate, made from 1/2" aluminum. Once secured, it was a simple matter to reconnect the wiring. The coaxial cables had been cut by the yard, so I had to crimp new fittings on the cables, and make up splices for the FM antenna and the TV antenna. The old GPS and radar antennas shown in the pictures have now been removed, and replaced with a Simrad GPS antenna and 4 foot open array HD radar. I'll discuss the new electronics in an upcoming post....