Catalina 22 mk-2 1996 is there wiring in the hull near the mast?

[scouper]

Hi in searching through online resources I was told there's a small dimple next to the mast if you drill down you can find the wiring for the mast that then hooks into the panel does anyone ever done this unfortunately I've already drilled down in there is a void but it is very shallow maybe a half inch
I do not see any wiring I do not want to drill any further. Anyone have any tips here? Thanks so much. Hope I didn't make a hole for nothing

 

[LloydB]

It looks to me like you found a good place to drill through the deck so that the waterproof outlet can be installed but never was when the boat was manufactured. The next task in your journey is to find out if wire was actually prewired for mast lighting and how to get through the ceiling trim. On my boat a dome light was actually installed approximately in that position and so I removed that assembly in order to access the circuits that I wanted to run up the mast.

 

[scouper]

It looks to me like you found a good place to drill through the deck so that the waterproof outlet can be installed but never was when the boat was manufactured. The next task in your journey is to find out if wire was actually prewired for mast lighting.

Thanks I talked to Catalina direct tech they said this boat is too recent to have the wiring in the hull so yes I have a hole where I will need to get wire up from the cabin ceiling he says there might be a way to snake through the steel compression post under the mast just to hide it a bit. Some had holes for this purpose. Otherwise I'll find as neat away as possible to get the wiring to the ceiling and out through that hole.

 

[Sail22Capri22]

Is there a channel in the cabin ceiling that runs from the location you drilled the hole to one of the sides of the cabin? I wonder if you can run some stiff wire through it and see if the void goes further. Then maybe you can run the wire off to the side and keep it more out of the way.

 

[scouper]

Is there a channel in the cabin ceiling that runs from the location you drilled the hole to one of the sides of the cabin?

 

[Crazy Dave Condon]

As a Catalina dealer years ago, the mast light wires exited the mast above the mast stem mast foot and plugged into.a deck socket in the area shown where is flat grey area with a 3/4 inch size hole. The wires then ran down the channel to the side.

First mistake was enlarging that hole to 1 inch. I used a snake with a string tied to it trying to run new wires

 

[scouper]

Thanks for the tips! Solved it. Actually, my hole is in the right place, and no, there is no wiring buried in the hull. Instead, in the cabin there is a plastic rectangular ceiling cover next to the mast compression post (maybe 6"x3"), which essentially creates an electrical box for any mast lighting, this box/cover lies on the cabin ceiling directly under the spot I drilled the hole by design (whew!), and wraps around the top of the compression post. There is a notch in the top of the compression post (in a 1996 c22 mk-2 this is a steel post) where wiring can be wired from a channel in the floor up inside the post to the ceiling (currently the overhead cabin light is wired this same path). To put new wire through, you need to unscrew and remove the compression post so you have access, so only can be done when mast is down. I also had to detach the cabin overhead light temporarily. Everything is ready, I'm waiting on some good marine grade wire to finish the job.

 

[...3TacksontheWater]

Thanks for the tips! Solved it. Actually, my hole is in the right place, and no, there is no wiring buried in the hull. Instead, in the cabin there is a plastic rectangular ceiling cover next to the mast compression post (maybe 6"x3"), which essentially creates an electrical box for any mast lighting, this box/cover lies on the cabin ceiling directly under the spot I drilled the hole by design (whew!), and wraps around the top of the compression post. There is a notch in the top of the compression post (in a 1996 c22 mk-2 this is a steel post) where wiring can be wired from a channel in the floor up inside the post to the ceiling (currently the overhead cabin light is wired this same path). To put new wire through, you need to unscrew and remove the compression post so you have access, so only can be done when mast is down. I also had to detach the cabin overhead light temporarily. Everything is ready, I'm waiting on some good marine grade wire to finish the job.

Are you getting fourplex wire? Assuming that you intend to have steaming, anchor and deck lights, you will need to run fourplex both in the cabin and if needed in the mast as well. The mast harness will need to have a cable split to reach the steaming/deck light and then continue the run to the top of the mast for the anchor lights.

George

 

[scouper]

Are you getting fourplex wire?

I actually have 2plex to the top and 3plex to combo light above spreader. I will need to splice the two black circuit ground at the bottom exit of the mast, the receptacle only takes 4 wires. I will run 4plex wire inside from the ceiling box to the battery,

 

[...3TacksontheWater]

I actually have 2plex to the top and 3plex to combo light above spreader. I will need to splice the two black circuit ground at the bottom exit of the mast, the receptacle only takes 4 wires. I will run 4plex wire inside from the ceiling box to the battery,

That is absolutely the way to go. Having said that, and since this is a tardy reply, if you haven’t made that splice yet, you might consider ordering a compete mast wire harness from CD with the splice and combo mast light pigtail wires already in place to save you some time and effort. Just a thought.

George

 

[scouper]

Thanks yes that's what I did. I ordered the Catalina direct wire harness. then i completely botched it because when I wired the lights in I forgot that I would need to really start with the bottom first... Lineup the rubber grommet that they nicely leave on the harness with the hole in the bottom of my mast etc. but I wired the mast light and the steaming/deck light in first and then realized I had about four extra feet at the bottom before the nicely spliced and wrapped end ( from cd.) . I really didn't want to coil a whole bunch of extra wire down in that area so I cut it off and respliced the ground wire myself. So much for convenience.