While at least part of the discussion on SSB antennas is interesting, it is
certainly straying far from any relevance to marine electronics as far as I
can tell.

My opinion is that loaded HF whips of any length, including those tuned with
screwdrivers (no offense Larry), do not outperform a long wire (the longer
the better) on a vessel. Most sailors think so, and so does the Coast Guard
and the Navy. Since the advent of SatComs, the need for long distance HF at
sea has been greatly reduced. But for anyone still interested in real long
distance coverage, the vertical HF whip (sans radials, which few pleasure
vessels under 100' will have) is a compromise. Lots of output power, if you
can afford it, can make up for some of the compromise performance of a
loaded HF whip, but power won't help you pull in weak signals!

Jack
Virginia Beach VA