07/03/2004 | W8VCK/MM What a great field day! Laura (W8JUZ) and I setup a station on my 34' Trawler in just under an hour. The boat sure looked funny with an R5 vertical strapped to the side with all manner of hose clamps and tie wraps.

With Lake Erie as our 9,000+ square mile ground plane the performance of the vertical was amazing. Highlight of the contest was a Nigerian DX station telling us we were the loudest signal on 20, and the operator who thought we were on a cargo ship when we told him we were running an R5 marine mobile.

Must give credit to the wife who fed us extremely well, helped lug all that equipment on and off the boat, and gave up her bunk to Laura.

Already thinking how I can get two stations on the boat next year, and how to get on 40/80 with a 34 X 12 foot platform... -- W8VCK