SEA GROUND: At 14 Mhz (and at 12 Mhz) the ground current in the sea flows in the top 1” of the sea. At 4 Mhz it flows as much as 3” below the surface. The ss paddle is always in the water when sailing. I run a wire to the paddle and connect it directly to the counterpoise. Then AC current would flow through the sea to the paddle and back to the ground connection of the antenna. At least the paddle is available for inspection and is easily cleaned. which is important for keeping the Rf resistance low.

If I didn’t connect the counterpoise to the sea, then the ac current would flow from the counterpoise back to the transmitter.

Revised: Saturday, July 5, 2014

This is the NEC plot (using cocoanec) for the configuration shown here. The boat is in sea water. The antenna (1/4 wave wire) is mounted on the aluminum counterpoise which is also the solar panel frame. The mast is fwd of the antenna by 13 ft. The backstay is aft of the antenna by 6 ft. The antenna is offset to stbd. by 2 ft and is vertically oriented. The counterpoise is simulated in NEC by adding 32 radials, 2 ft long. Notice how the mast squishes the RF field. The ground is Sea Water.