Mast wires

[jackjanos]

Has anyone tried to run a wire up the mast?  Are the existing wires just hanging in there loose or are they going thru a conduit?  After climbing up the mast to find out why my Steaming lite wasen't  working, I found that one of the wires was nowhere to be found.  I moved the lite fixture to see if I could find the missing wire and re-connect it, but to my further frustration, the other wire also became disconnected AND THE ENTIRE SET OF WIRES FELL INSIDE THE MAST and could not be retreived with all sorts of my "retreval gadgets".   So I'm now faced with the problem of pulling the old Steaming Lite wire down from the bottom of the mast, since it was too short anyway, and sending up a new one.  The hole at mast bottom down where it's at the keel, where there were 3 wires going in (Spreader lights, Anchor Light, Steaming Light), is such a small hole, that even getting the old Steaming light wire out looks like to be a problem, so I might elect to leave it in there.  So my next alternative is to MAKE A NEW HOLE AT THE MAST BOTTOM IN THE MAST to run up a new set of wires up to the Steaming Light hole just above the Spreaders.  But now is the problem of "fishing" something down from the hole at the Spreader Light  down to the bottom of the mast to run a new wire-set up to the spreaders. Does making a new hole at the bottom of the mast do any weakening of the mast structure?  I don't think so.  My concern is will I find any problems trying to send the "fish" down the tube?

Jack

[Jim Cozy]

I would NOT leave the wires in the mast. If they are in a conduit as is mine, they won't foul the halyards, but they will bunch up and prevent the new wire from dropping to the bottom. If not in a conduit, they can potentially foul the halyards (disaster!!). Standard proceedure is to drop a messenger line (heavy cord)  after first tightening all internal halyards, with a weight attached,to pull it straight to the bottom, then attach the wire to the cord and pull it down,  This works well with the mast vertical, but access at the mast base on a 365 is very difficult. If I were doing it, I would use the opportunity to pull the mast and do general maintenance as well as running a new wire with an electrician's fish wire. Good luck. Jim

[EdHouston]

OMG

On my boat the mast head anchor light did not work and stepping the mast to replace it was not an option (cost V benefit) I am the Son of a Scotsman and therefore can claim being a Scotsman and as such we are as they say very canny people not wanting to waste our money!!!!!!!!  I can always raise an all round oil lamp if need be.

Now I did this procedure alone and all my halyards are external (wouldn't have it any other way) If you have a mate that can be below with some communication equipment it would ease the process.

I have a 100ft Greenlee fish tape see: http://www.mygreenlee.com/Products/main.shtml?p_search=tape&greenlee_category_id=3&portalProcess_2=showGreenleeProductTemplate&upc_number=12709

You can buy a tape at the Home Depot for < $50 a good thing to have in your tool box.

After removing the old mast head light and pulling the cable out I used the fish tape to push downwards until I thought it was at the mast base. (Having a mate below here would be a great help)

Down the mast I go to find I was not in the outlet hole just under the deck sole at the mast, feeling around as best a I could, I could not locate the end of the tape so back up the stick I go and try a second time.

On the third attempt I was able to get a hold of the end of the tape and attach a messenger line to the tape. Back up the mast and extract the tape with messenger attached.

Attaching the new LED mast head lamp cable and a spare messenger line to the first line I dropped the cable & line into the mast and went back below to pull through and terminate the cable into the junction box.

I used a good size cable strain relief at the mast head to support the weight of the cable and have had no issues with the installation, I will however when next stepping the mast re-do this installation with a more permanent installation but until then this will work fine.

Ed
S/V Moonlight Mile.

Save the money for when you may need it!!!!!!!   

[RayNWanda]

Having looked inside 2 different 365 mainmasts, I have seen 2 different setups. One had a pvc conduit foamed in place with the wiring ran through it.
There is a sailtrack inside the mast, stbd side? toward the back of the mast. The wiring was attached to sail slugs about every 3 feet and pulled in. The wiring was attached to the masthead with wire ties for strain relief. I think this is the most common setup.

We pulled in all new wiring while we had the sticks on the ground in the boatyard. The day the masts went up, the wind was blowing about 20 and the little crane was not quite tall enough. It was a struggle to get the main up and stepped. The new wiring was hanging out through the hole at the base of the mast, but it would not go through the collar on the deck without being sheared off. We had to stuff the wiring back inside to get through the collar. Through a communication screwup with the guy inside, the wiring did not get pulled back out before it was stepped. We figured this out after the crane was already rigged down. Sooo... we have all new wiring and lights, but no access to the wiring. I am going to have to cut another hole to fish them out.

[JusRockin]

I had problems with my steaming light. What was inside the mast after pulling it off the boat were lose wires and foam rubber placed every so many feet.  I re-rigged inside the mast with conduit and feed all new wires and included a pull teflon string. No more annoying slapping of wires at anchor. I also replace the mast step with a new stainless steel step and all new standing rigging. Hull# 213

[Dale Tanski]

I gutted everything in both sticks and started from scratch.  The old stuff was not attached to sail slides or in conduit.  It all just hung there.  My plan was to use sail slides during the reinstall, however I found that several of the mast attachments (halyard winches) fasteners went through the extruded track and blocked the progress of the slides. I encased the new wire bundle in foam pipe insulation and wrapped that in tape.  It seems to do the trick and we have not noticed and thumping.

I left long leads at the base of the mast and agree with the statement that you must tuck them back in before the stick goes through the deck.  The existing hole is tight but the engineer in me is reluctant to make it bigger or add another. Everything I ran with the exception of the coax for the antenna was duplex pairs (like romex).  I have four sets in addition to the coax and my masthead wind cable and they all fit nicely through the exit hole if they are neatly arranged.

I eliminated the factory junction block setup and installed an enclosed gasketed junction box aft of the mast base just under the floor boards. 



Good Sailing...  Dale

[EdHouston]

That's one nice instalation Great job!

You have inspired me when the stick is next stepped I will copy your idea I think.

Ed
S/V Moonlight Mile #110

[rivaro]

I also had a problem with my anchor light. My solution was to cut an oblong hole on the port side of the mast directly across from where the old wires exited the mast down below. The hole I cut was 1 1/8" by 2" aprox the size of a cutout for a halyard exit plate. This gave me access, although I'll give you , not alot, to the wiring inside the mast. With flashlight and inspection mirror in hand I disovered a virtual rats nest of wires twisted and tied around one another. Originally I beleive the previous owners idea was to run all wire taped together ans wraped in a foam tube covering, like plumbing.Then extra wire was left at the bottom- Just incase..  It was not in my budget to pull the mast at this time. Using a thin fish tape I fished down from the top of the mast and pulled new wire, leaviving the old wires in place but disconnected and cut short. With the larger hole on the port side of the mast and a young son to feed the wire, I was able to rewire the light. This fix should last for several years or until I can pull the mast and redo all the wireing. With the cut out in the mast I will be able to make future repairs if needed when a boat yard is not available. The fish tape I purchased is made of a fiberglass or nylon rod that rolls up in the handle - no rust. It now resides on the INTERIM
Hope this helps
rivaro