H33 In-Mast Wiring dilemma

Nov 13, 2017
4
Hunter 33 Lake Texoma
Hello and Happy New Year! Thanks to everyone for giving me lots to read and learn over the past year! I have a 1981 H33C.

I need to run electrical wire from the steaming and anchor lights down through the bilge and over to my panel. The most difficult part (as other members have pointed out) is getting from the bottom of the mast through the support pole in the cabin and out a very small hole just above where the support pole meets the fiberglass in the bilge.

I've tried everything. I can poke a coat hanger about 3 inches through the hole at the deck level down toward the cabin before it stops. Which leads me to my question. See the attached image of my support pole in the cabin. What happens if I unscrew the bolts in the picture? Can I remove the casing around the top of the pole or is it welded? I think the coat hanger basically hits the bottom of this casing and the wires should go through a vertical hole in the support pole (similar to the vertical hole at the bottom of the pole). If anyone has any suggestions for running this wire, please let me know. Thank you!
SupportPole.jpg
 

Attachments

Dec 24, 2011
81
Hunter 33C Chesapeake
I have a 1982 H33. I ran new cables by using the old ones as a chase wire, I think I removed the VHF coax first. The route down wasn't straight, the wires went forwards a little bit as I recall. Have you removed the mast step?

edit: from what I have read that is an aluminum tube which fits into the shoe which is bolted to the roof. The bottom of the pole is the same but its encased in fiberglass, that is going to make removing it quite hard.
 
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Oct 19, 2017
7,733
O'Day 19 Littleton, NH
Loosen the bolts, cut a 2x4 to prop up next to the compression post. Wedge it image just until you see a slight separation from the post. Then you can pull the compression post to work on it. You might want to loosen for stays a few turns before doing this.

-Will (Dragonfly)
 
Dec 24, 2011
81
Hunter 33C Chesapeake
Loosen the bolts, cut a 2x4 to prop up next to the compression post. Wedge it image just until you see a slight separation from the post. Then you can pull the compression post to work on it. You might want to loosen for stays a few turns before doing this.

-Will (Dragonfly)
The post is glassed in at the bottom forward part of the bilge. You cant remove it without grinding the glass away.
 
Nov 13, 2017
4
Hunter 33 Lake Texoma
Thanks everyone for the insight. Does the aluminum shoe (casing with the bolts in the photo) separate from the aluminum support pole? Or, are they welded together? I have been unable to separate them, but thought I'd ask before I really banged away! :)
 

RoyS

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Jun 3, 2012
1,739
Hunter 33 Steamboat Wharf, Hull, MA
I cannot tell from your post if your mast is still up. I assume that it is. The shoe is not welded. Slip fit. Post slips into shoes on both ends. Bottom is identical except embedded in fiberglass. Loosening bolts not a good idea. Those bolts fasten the mast step casting to the deck and they are inside the mast and not reachable. Unsure about the hole size through the mast step casting and deck. I think it was tight on mine and maybe 1/2" diameter. When I had mine apart to replace the compression post I modified the wiring path by installing a 3/4" or 1" pvc conduit stub through the deck but I do not remember what size hole was original. The mast has a plastic conduit fastened by rivets to the forward end of the mast and running up toward the spreaders. I think that conduit does not go all the way down to the deck. The wires are all inside that plastic conduit. This keeps the wires from tangling with the halyards. There should be an access hole behind the steaming light. There is a company (I have forgotten company name) that sells a cover plate that can be used to cover an access hole that you can cut in the mast side near the base. From there you can see what is going on inside. I do not have any idea how that would affect the strength of the mast. Try what twisted line suggested above. However, there very well could be a splice of some type inside and near the mast base to permit removing the mast from time to time. If that is the case you will not be able to pull the existing wires through. Good luck.
 
Jun 5, 2010
1,107
Hunter 25 Burlington NJ
I would strongly recommend putting some kind of splice in each of the wires anyway. If ever the mast comes off/out of the boat, what will you do? --disconnect all the wires at their ends and weave them all through, while the crane is waiting? No way.

Doing this you get two opportunities: planning for future removal of the mast and a chance to make a second conduit, directly forward of this post, to carry only the wiring. Epoxy all the through-deck holes very thoroughly (mast-wiring holes being number-one cause of rot under desk-stepped mast) and use a proper watertight gland, bedded in 5200, that can be easily tightened and untightened when it needs to be. Drawback: ugle second post in cabin. Benefit: everything else.

I am VERY suspicious of how that post is fastened to the actual mast above it. Heads of bolts inside the spar itself? --when was the last time you inspected those? If I were to unstep the mast and remove the step plate, would I find any evidence of water intrusion into the deck core? If I were, it's nothing good. First of all that post should be supporting nothing but solid 'glass above it. Okay; let's assume that's true. Second, it should be supporting it by way of a plate much bigger in area than what your post shows. For 37-footer I wouldn't make it less than 133% the area of the spar section. That's like 1-1/2" all the way around. This plate should be bolted through to the mast-step casting and everything between them should be solid epoxy or 'glass with microfiber filler.

If you're having trouble reeving the electrical wire through, and you have the opportunity, you might strongly consider pulling the spar and resolving the problem for good as well as investigating into questions like these. Good luck and keep us posted!
 

RoyS

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Jun 3, 2012
1,739
Hunter 33 Steamboat Wharf, Hull, MA
On my H33 there was wood encased in the fiberglass deck between the mast step and the support post top casting. That wood was surprisingly not rotted. Regarding splices inside the mast base: Connectors for lighting and the antenna are feasible. Connections for the many conductors in a radar cable, not so much. A second wiring post as described above with a junction box may work, but would be, as pointed out, ugly. In my case I did have the crane slowly lower the mast as I pulled an extremely long bundle of wires into the bilge through the support post. My access holes had been enlarged for this purpose. Those wires terminate on a terminal strip outside of the bilge where it is dry. I store my boat with the mast up so I have not had to repeat the process. Wish you well.