The standard mounting rod is especially useful on boats with a large masthead, in case you want to raise it on a halyard at some point. Then it is long enough to clear the masthead, and hold the Wind Instrument in clear air above the sail. But if you don’t want that height or have a small sailboat, the shorter version is a new option. It is marine-grade stainless steel, and the same sturdy machine work as the standard Mounting Rod, although this shorter version is 9.7 cm tall in total (3.8 inches).