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Spot on info.:clap3: The height of the antenna above sea level is far more important than the length.If your boat is a smallish one (under 30 ft) do not get an ariel that is too long. Longer is not always better on small boats that tend to roll about more. Longer ariels will concentrate the signal into tighter band but it is more likely to miss as the boat rolls, particularly at increased range. You will get a more consistent signal (transmitting) if you stick to about 1.5 meters, unless you are sure that you will never need a radio when you are rolling about a lot (like when the engine fails).
You wont see a 3 meter ariel on an inshore lifeboat - even a 25 foot one.
If you really want to be baffled with the science of it all then have a read of this,
Scroll down to the "Line of site path" part and it will tell you about rolling boats ect.
http://continuouswave.com/whaler/reference/VHF.html
Alan