I am using a crappie pole (works for fish too!). When I attempt a qso I turn down wind, ususally there is enough speed to keep the wire on the surface... no need for floats.
A side benifit is that the pole floats, as such it keeps the boat from going turtle when I jump out. The crappie pole predates the marine mobile nonsense, as it can be pressed into service as a mast to fly a small spinnaker (a tent fly really), I've covered over 30 miles in a day on a downwind passage this way.
A couple of other things that Im running into. I need to rethink the enclosure, the pot shafts need a better waterproofing scheme as leakage takes them out after one or two trips. Plus, Im beginning to see a little delamination of the traces from the circuit board where the solder is oxidizing. There is simply no way to keep the radio (or anything else in the boat for that matter) from getting wet while in use.
Conditions permitting, I'll be AB9LZ/MM on the passage to South Manitou Island in about two weeks. 14030 +- 5. I may bring the K2 (gulp) for when I get to dry land.
73 Mark.