Navigation light not working - probably shorted out - H240

[BOSSailor]

Looks like there were originally some crimped connections inside the pulpit tubing that you pulled out

It's a garbage place for splices, someone must have been trying to cut a corner or save what was already there in the past.

Once you get that old wire out you'll probably need to use a fish tape to pull new wires in

 

[chriscampbell]

Looks like there were originally some crimped connections inside the pulpit tubing that you pulled out

It's a garbage place for splices, someone must have been trying to cut a corner or save what was already there in the past.

Once you get that old wire out you'll probably need to use a fish tape to pull new wires in

That was my plan, but I can't budge that old wire at the fixture and it appears to UP into the pulpit instead of down through the tube. That is just completely illogical to me.

 

[BOSSailor]

Is it possible to route the wire through another path? I'm not familiar with the 240 specifically but I'd imagine it's possible. Just abandon the old one in place, cut it off close and push the stub back in to leave space for the new wire to emerge

 

[chriscampbell]

Is it possible to route the wire through another path? I'm not familiar with the 240 specifically but I'd imagine it's possible. Just abandon the old one in place, cut it off close and push the stub back in to leave space for the new wire to emerge

The natural place to run the wire is through that pulpit tube. I have access and there is already a hole there. My biggest confusion is where does the original wire go, and why is it not running down through that tube? I don't think this is a customization to my boat, because of the other poster in this thread that sent me the picture and tipped me off about the location. I might be able to abandon the original fixture wire as you suggest, though. There is no power getting to it.

 

[JoeWhite]

The reason that the wire goes up first is that if it went downwards from the light fixture then water would follow the wire down into the tube and into inside the boat. Going up first prevents water intrusion. You may be fighting caulking inside the tube. Can you use a metal coat hanger and reach the light fixture from the bottom? The other way would be to use vaccume cleaner from the bottom opening and try to suck a string from the top, then use the string to pull new wire. Do you have a photo of the full path through the pulpit?
The other way would be to tye a string loop of about 4 inches on the end of a coat hanger from the bottom and insert an other coat hanger from the top that had a hook at the end and try and fish for the string loop and pull up.

 

[chriscampbell]

The reason that the wire goes up first is that if it went downwards from the light fixture then water would follow the wire down into the tube and into inside the boat. Going up first prevents water intrusion. You may be fighting caulking inside the tube. Can you use a metal coat hanger and reach the light fixture from the bottom? The other way would be to use vaccume cleaner from the bottom opening and try to suck a string from the top, then use the string to pull new wire. Do you have a photo of the full path through the pulpit?
The other way would be to tye a string loop of about 4 inches on the end of a coat hanger from the bottom and insert an other coat hanger from the top that had a hook at the end and try and fish for the string loop and pull up.

Thanks for the reply. It should be a straight, easy shot to the light. Here is the tube that I pulled the loose wire out of. I imagine I can fish a wire through there, but I don't know where the old wire coming out of the light goes, unless as you say it just loops up and is caulked in there.

 

[Crazy Dave Condon]

First it has been a long time but memory, there are two wires that entered the bow pulpit near the back end of the bow light and ran down the starboard rail entering the boat where it is attached to the deck by two screws. There should be an aluminum plate encapsulated in the fiberglass which the two bolts are secured to that would have been drilled and tapped if you do not see stainless steel nut inside the hull. The wire should enter into the boat running down the starboard side toward the DC panel somewhere near the hull to deck joint under the gray carpet glued to the hull.

Hunter used satan’s glue where the wire went thru. Suggest using different caulk. One of the biggest problems is where the wires exit the bow pulpit as it would chafe there on both ends.

suggest taking the two starboard bolts out of the stern starboard pulpit first to run a chase line but in reality you may have to remove the entire pulpit to do that

where thewires enter and exit the pulpit, file the holes to remove any sharp edges. Also never splice wires within the pulpit. See if yo can cushion the wires from chafing on those holes. Splice wires inside the boat

Keep me posted

 

[chriscampbell]

First it has been a long time but memory, there are two wires that entered the bow pulpit near the back end of the bow light and ran down the starboard rail entering the boat where it is attached to the deck by two screws. There should be an aluminum plate encapsulated in the fiberglass which the two bolts are secured to that would have been drilled and tapped if you do not see stainless steel nut inside the hull. The wire should enter into the boat running down the starboard side toward the DC panel somewhere near the hull to deck joint under the gray carpet glued to the hull.

Hunter used satan’s glue where the wire went thru. Suggest using different caulk. One of the biggest problems is where the wires exit the bow pulpit as it would chafe there on both ends.

suggest taking the two starboard bolts out of the stern starboard pulpit first to run a chase line but in reality you may have to remove the entire pulpit to do that

where thewires enter and exit the pulpit, file the holes to remove any sharp edges. Also never splice wires within the pulpit. See if yo can cushion the wires from chafing on those holes. Splice wires inside the boat

Keep me posted

Thanks, Dave. On our boat these wires come out of the headliner on the starboard side and then disappear into the very front corner/nose, directly beneath the front center rail support of the pulpit. I posted a photo above. It looks like I’m not the only one since that is also shown in @GL-WindPower’s photo.
Any idea why the wire seems to be stuck in the tube at the fixture? Is that glued in there as was suggested?

 

[JoeWhite]

In my post #11, as I mentioned, you will have to remove the bow pulpit. The reason you can not move the wire is because originally the wire was installed the hole was caulking at the bow, then the pulpit was installed. You will have to replace this wire the same way. Be sure to use a wire that will resist UV.
I did this same project and had to remove the pulpit.

 

[chriscampbell]

In my post #11, as I mentioned, you will have to remove the bow pulpit. The reason you can not move the wire is because originally the wire was installed the hole was caulking at the bow, then the pulpit was installed. You will have to replace this wire the same way. Be sure to use a wire that will resist UV.
I did this same project and had to remove the pulpit.

Ok - I think the part of the wire that might have been caulked at the bow penetration is the piece I pulled out. It was caulked in where it went through the hole and about 8 inches or so pulled down from the tube.
Do you remember if the wire leaving the light fixture bent up slightly and then went back down the tube?

 

[JoeWhite]

On my H25.5, the wire went to the starboard side and down the tube at 45 degrees to the deck. A distance of about 30 inches. The peneteration into the tube from the light may have been above the light, so the wire went up then into the tube. That will meet the requirement to prevent water entering the tube.

 

[Crazy Dave Condon]

One photo did show where the bow eye was secured to a short backing plate. Please replace the backing plate with a larger one to distribute the load of the bow eye when pulling

 

[RoyS]

Here is an idea of mine to consider. Note, I have not tried this yet. Buy a can of foamy shaving cream and squirt it into the hole where the cable enters and where it exits. Hopefully this will fill the tube and lubricate the wire pull.

 

[Crazy Dave Condon]

If you use any spray cooking oil like Pam that wood too

 

[chriscampbell]

UPDATE: Success!
Thanks for all of your suggestions. It's still a mystery as to why the live wire was NOT the wire feeding the light fixture. My best guess is that someone attempted to repair it previously and gave up after trying to run the wire into the front tube of the pulpit. In the end I cut the old wire at the fixture and abandoned it. I fished new wire up through the pulpit at the nose. Added new heat shrink connectors for the light, and then heat shrink butt splice inside the boat. The light works!

 

[kappykaplan]

Well done!