Update – it was too ugly, I shortened it.
I made an addition to the masthead box to add a wind sensor. I hadn’t previously wanted to add a wind sensor to the masthead but through about sailing at night, how would you deal with wind direction and thought it might be handy. I made the extension rather long to get the big solar box at the base of the sensor below the masthead light (not installed in this pic, it’s hanging from the wiring below). If after a season I decide that extension off the front is too ugly to live I’ll make a shorter one but it’s gonna stay for now. The wind sensor is a B&G WS320. It’s wireless and connects to the boat’s internal NMEA2000 network via bluetooth. It has great reviews and helps me avoid running more wires through the deck. I got to play with the milling machine a bit to make this and that was fun. I’ve always wanted a milling machine and now that I have one I rarely use it. This was a good project for that.
I also added a masthead strobe. I know there’s no provision for strobe lights on sailboats but everyone I know who sails offshore says as soon as they’re in a storm the strobe goes on for extra visibility so I figured why not. It’s a neat little strobe. You can find out more info here: https://www.superbrightleds.com/moreinfo/strobe-beacons/led-hideaway-strobe-lights-mini-emergency-vehicle-led-warning-lights/1905/
