26S Mast lighting upgrades

Sep 5, 2017
29
Macgregor 26S TN River
All,

I have pulled the boat out and started the bottom cleaning and plan to upgrade the lights on the mast. I plan to convert the masthead light to be LED and have a deck light (on a different switch), and add an anchor light.

I purchased some SEOOW 14/4 since I will need 3 switches power sources and a single common, but I wasn't expecting the size of the SEOOW cord. Should I continue down this road, which will require me to either enlarge the hole at the bottom of the mast or drill a new hole, or should I change cable to something smaller?

I like the 14 gauge since these runs will be close to 35 feet, but all of the lights are LED, so there should be very little draw. I also like that the SEOOW is gas, oil and UV resistant not only on the outer sheath, but also on the inner ones as well.

Thanks
-Russ
 

Sumner

.
Jan 31, 2009
5,254
Macgregor & Endeavour 26S and 37 Utah's Canyon Country
If you like the wire I don't see a problem in enlarging the hole for it. I think I used #16. Smaller would work as far as current if the lights are LED but I like larger physical for the stress on the wire banging around in there.



On that note to keep the noise from the wire slapping the inside of the mast on anchor I put foam on the wire and that stopped it. Others have used zip ties and left long legs on them.

More on how I did ours here....

http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner/macgregor2/outside-41.html

.... and here......

http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner/macgregor2/outside-42.html

Sumner
=============================================================================
1300 miles to The Bahamas and Back in the Mac...
Endeavour 37 Mods...

MacGregor 26-S Mods...http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner/endeavour-main/endeavour-index.html
Mac Trips to Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, Canada, Florida, Bahamas
 

walt

.
Jun 1, 2007
3,511
Macgregor 26S Hobie TI Ridgway Colorado
If your LED lights have a voltage spec of something like 10 to 28 volts (ie, well below 12 to well over 24), the LED light brightness will not at all be affected by the DC wire gauge. You could go to much smaller diameter wire than 14 gauge wire.

14 gauge in this case would be chosen for mechanical reasons only. How small of wire you can use and not have any mechanical issues.. I dont know but I would guess 16, 18, even 20 would be OK.

FYI, if the LED has the wide input voltage range, it almost for sure has a little switching circuit that causes a fixed current into the actual LED. The switching circuit just compensates for a lower input voltage by higher input current. So the actual LED brightness stays constant even if the input voltage changes.

Keep in mind also that any wire run should be fused at the source side and the smaller the wire, the less current the fuse should blow at.
 
Sep 5, 2017
29
Macgregor 26S TN River
Thanks Sumner. I was concerned about weakening the mast by making the hole larger. I read a while back where you used the foam to make stop the sound. Great idea and I was thinking about copying it.

Also thanks Walt. I was worried about the voltage drop over the long run of 12 volt, so I went overkill on size. I have breakers that will be on each of the wires. Trying to avoid fuses as it seems changing them underway might be quite difficult.

-Russ
 
Jul 7, 2004
8,402
Hunter 30T Cheney, KS
When I rewired my Mac and my Hunter mast lighting I changed over to a SPDT switch to change from steaming to anchor lighting. Reason being one or the other should be on, not both. Freed up a spot for the separate deck light switch. I went with 16ga cable for the strength. Less would have been plenty for the current draw of LEDs.
 
Nov 30, 2015
217
MacGregor 26S Lakehills, Tx
I've done that same project.

My anchor light and running lights are operated by the standard switches on the fuse panel. The masthead and the deck lights were wired on separate switches. I upgraded my masthead light from a tiny BA9 to an 1157 LED (normally used as an automotive taillight).



Since the PO had already made the modification, I used a new automotive trailer light kit to run the wiring up the mast for economy and simplicity. The connections are highly water resistant, have covers for the connectors, and the wires are bonded together making it easier to pull through the PEX tubing I put in the mast. I snipped the ground wire on the mast wiring and attached that directly to the mast making it the common ground, and ran the other 3 wires through the hole. It all fit easily through the original hole in the mast.
 
Jun 16, 2016
9
Macgregor 26D My driveway
I just completed this same project on my 1988 26D using marine grade 14 gauge wire and it worked prefect. I enlarged the hole at the bottom of the mast and made additional holes for the deck lights at the spreaders. No problems at all with the strength of the mast. My additions were an all round LED anchor light on top, a replacement LED steaming light, and two LED deck lights (one points forward the other aft), all on separate switches, fuses, and leads. An additional marine fuse panel was added and a LED head light. The two cabin lights were replaced with LED.