Near the centerline should be fine.

The Icom-802 is a great rig, especially so if you also have a ham
license. I highly recommend getting a SCS Pactor III to go with it,
along with free Airmail software for your laptop. The combination is
very versatile and powerful: Email via HF radio, Navtex, weather fax,
position reporting via APRS, etc.

Talk to Gary at Dockside Radio if you need help setting it up or
getting licensed:

http://www.docksideradio.com/

Skip Gundlach wrote:

Thanks for any informed opinions :{))

Forget dubbing with an xmting whip, insulate the backstay & light it up
for HF. The insulators aren't cheap but neither is another
whip-related evolution. The stay is also a good compromise btw vert &
horiz polarization. A good tuner'll tune a backstay dowm to 1.5 swr or
better almost anywhere you'll operate. Be smart about the feedline
(get help if U need it). Elegance, performance, less junk sticking off
the boat, tuner below where it belongs.