Pulling new cable up Mast

[Night Watch]

A storm recently damaged my genoa and steaming light which is mounted on the mast just above the spreader bars. The light was lost and the duplex cable fell down the mast. I had no problem pulling the duplex cable out of the mast at the bilge. I intend to replace the steaming light next week and was wondering if anyone out there has had a similar problem, how you tackled pulling "up" new duplex w/o demasting the boat.
I should mention the previous owner rewired the mast and there is no plug at the mast step on the top deck. All wire runs internal to the mast and exits in the bilge.

 

[colemj]

I've done this before. Attach a weight like a nut to the end of string and drop it down from the hole the wire will come out. Fish it out at the bottom and attach the wire to the string and pull it up. Two people are better - one feeds the wire into the mast while the other pulls. This way there isn't a lot of tension on the wire resisting it being pulled up.

Mark

 

[shemandr]

Yeah I would say it's a matter of feeding a messenger down to pull a wire up. I've heard from a friend who does this stuff that a sinker and some monofilament line works too. Since there are probably wires and or halyards in the mast it may take a bit to get a messenger line to drop all the way. Sometimes a fish tape can bruise its way down when line can't poke thru (The second law of physics - you can't push a rope!).

 

[dlochner]

Instead of a nut or bolt, use a short section of small steel chain. It will be longer and easier to find hanging in the mast. A magnet can be used to fish it out of the mast. When it retrieved, the chain will come out of the hole at the top more easily than a nut or bolt.

 

[Night Watch]

I appreciate all the responses so far. One thing I've tried, so far, was to push a metal (electrical) fish tape up from the bilge but it kept getting hung up at the cabin top/mast step interface. No luck that way. There's a VHF cable and a single duplex wire already in the hole but my metal tape wasn't limber enough to flex into the constriction at the step/base interface. Maybe coming "down" from above will work. Thanks again.

 

[jssailem]

Welcome @Night Watch to the SBO Forum.
Going through the deck will be problematic if your Catalina mast is deck-stepped. Images of the mast base on boats built in the 80's show wires coming out of the mast near the deck and then plugging into a fitting going through the cabin roof. How is your mast configured?

 

[Night Watch]

Welcome @Night Watch to the SBO Forum.
Going through the deck will be problematic if your Catalina mast is deck-stepped. Images of the mast base on boats built in the 80's show wires coming out of the mast near the deck and then plugging into a fitting going through the cabin roof. How is your mast configured?

I'm glad you mentioned that. The current situation is, Yes, it's deck-stepped, however, the previous owner "rewired" the mast so there is no plug to deal with, just raw wire.

 

[jssailem]

I have a deck stepped mast. I know water seeps down the inside of the mast. There are weep holes on the step and mast base to let water escape out onto the deck. To stop water from leaking down into the boat on the wires I installed some raised tubes.


When you indicated the wire fell down inside the cabin it got me to wonder. How is the wire configuration to let it go through the deck so that water does not leak in?

Knowing that it might clarify why you experienced an issue trying to run the fish tape.

 

[Night Watch]

I have a deck stepped mast. I know water seeps down the inside of the mast. There are weep holes on the step and mast base to let water escape out onto the deck. To stop water from leaking down into the boat on the wires I installed some raised tubes.
View attachment 229327

When you indicated the wire fell down inside the cabin it got me to wonder. How is the wire configuration to let it go through the deck so that water does not leak in?

Knowing that it might clarify why you experienced an issue trying to run the fish tape.

I too get a bit of water in the cabin coming down the inside of the mast, but it started when I lost my steaming light, and the access hole became exposed. The water "should" stop once I get the light back up. Thanks for the picture.

 

[Night Watch]

I bought a semi-rigid fish and an endoscope both with 50' leads. I'll take a look at the access ports at the bottom of the mast once they get here.

 

[RitSim]

i lost my genoa halyard a few years ago. i used a set of Harbor Freight screw together wire running kit with a pull string.

3/16 in. x 33 ft. Fiberglass Wire Running Kit

Amazing deals on this 3/16In X 33Ft Fiberglass Wire Runner at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.

www.harborfreight.com

pushed it up from the bottom and had someone climb the mast to retrieve the end. The potential is there to have the new halyard twisted around the existing in-mast lines - but that didn't happen for me.

 

[colemj]

When you wrote that you retrieved the wire out of the mast at the bilge, I assumed keel-stepped. You will likely have difficulties using a messenger line with your deck stepped mast if the wires come through internally.

Mark

 

[Hayden Watson]

I appreciate all the responses so far. One thing I've tried, so far, was to push a metal (electrical) fish tape up from the bilge but it kept getting hung up at the cabin top/mast step interface. No luck that way. There's a VHF cable and a single duplex wire already in the hole but my metal tape wasn't limber enough to flex into the constriction at the step/base interface. Maybe coming "down" from above will work. Thanks again.

What year is your C30? The later years like my 88 have a conduit in the mast for the wires and it would be very difficult to fish a chain and line through that path. Since you have a coax, I would use that as a pull wire to pull in a messenger line. Tie the line to the coax and pull the coax out and messenger line in. Then pull the new wire and coax back in with the messenger line.

 

[dlochner]

Then pull the new wire and coax back in with the messenger line.

And leave a messenger line in the conduit.

 

[Night Watch]

What year is your C30? The later years like my 88 have a conduit in the mast for the wires and it would be very difficult to fish a chain and line through that path. Since you have a coax, I would use that as a pull wire to pull in a messenger line. Tie the line to the coax and pull the coax out and messenger line in. Then pull the new wire and coax back in with the messenger line.

The boat was built in '79. I'll know how the mast is built internally once I get my endoscope. Thanks for the contribution

 

[RitSim]

I pulled new cable thru my conduit by using the existing cable to run the pull string as described. Home Depot has pull lubricant for this purpose. It's a water based lube that makes the job possible.

 

[Night Watch]

I pulled new cable thru my conduit by using the existing cable to run the pull string as described. Home Depot has pull lubricant for this purpose. It's a water based lube that makes the job possible.

I just happen to have that lubricant. I've recently "rewired" the entire boat, all that is left is this mast issue.

 

[Hayden Watson]

And leave a messenger line in the conduit.

I did that when I dropped my mast to rewire and paint it. Several years later I discided to install an ananometer and it appeared that the wireless ones might suffer from drop-outs so I wanted wired. I was able to intall the new G-wind wired transducer down through the conduit from the masthead. It took 3 trips up the mast with the last one lasting over three hours, but I got it done and have been completely happy with the results.

Without the messenger line, this would not have been possible.

 

[Dave R.]

I used a sting line, super strong and limber. The type of line you use in the building trades. Tied a fishing weight on the end fished the li e down through the conduit attached to the mast.
Most masts have a coduit so wiring doesn’t clang around inside the mast while your trying to sleep and hanging up on internal halyards.

good luck

 

[captcoho]

I appreciate all the responses so far. One thing I've tried, so far, was to push a metal (electrical) fish tape up from the bilge but it kept getting hung up at the cabin top/mast step interface. No luck that way. There's a VHF cable and a single duplex wire already in the hole but my metal tape wasn't limber enough to flex into the constriction at the step/base interface. Maybe coming "down" from above will work. Thanks again.

Drop a string/ mason line with a couple inches of small jack chain as suggested, and feel when hits the bottom but don't allow too much to pile up on the bottom, fish up with a piece of # 12 solid wire with a small hook bent on the end and twirl it around to catch the chain and once caught have to person on top gently feed the string/ mason line