Mast Radar Installation

[J in Mississippi]

I'm looking to install a Raymarine radar during this winter haulout. Antenna to go on the mast. My question is if anyone knows whether I can do this without removing the mast. There is a snake wire that runs from an opening at level of the steaming light down to the base of the mast. This should offer a good spot to install the antenna. But I don't know if I can run the wires from the base of the mast through the deck to bilge area without pulling off mast. Any ideas?

Thanks

 

[jsalley]

Yes, you can do this without unstepping the mast. Use an electrician's fish tape and feed it into the plastic through-deck conduit inside the base of the mast (access through the lowermost black access cover in the mast). Have someone watch with a flashlight in the bilge for the tape to appear, while you twist and turn it while feeding it down from the deck. It will take a LOT of time and manipulation, but you should be able to get it through the compression post into the bilge and pull the wires up into the mast base from the bilge. The radome can be installed from a bosuns chair - hook your legs over the lower spreader, and you can stay up there a long time. Install the mast bracket just above the wire hole in the front of the mast above the steaming light - there should already be a messenger line there to pull the dome's wires down through the mast to the base, where you can connect them to the corresponding wires coming up from the bilge with an appropriate disconnect plug/socket. It took me the better part of a day to run the wiring (my wife hauled me up the mast 4 times!) and install the dome, with the boat in the water (in February on a 35 degree day!).

 

[J in Mississippi]

Radar Install

Thanks for the information. I just replaced the messenger line that was already in place up the mast before it wore out and broke. I'll try getting a line through the compression post as you suggested. What kind of radar did you install? I'm getting a raymarine 18" as I already have a raymarine chartplotter installed. Finally, did you use a "self leveling" bracket for the radome. If not, do you get much clutter when boat heels over at high angles?

Thanks again for input. You sound pretty dedicated to go up the mast on a day like that. I'll be hauled out for my install otherwise I'd probably drop my radome overboard with my luck

 

[jsalley]

Thanks for the information. I just replaced the messenger line that was already in place up the mast before it wore out and broke. I'll try getting a line through the compression post as you suggested. What kind of radar did you install? I'm getting a raymarine 18" as I already have a raymarine chartplotter installed. Finally, did you use a "self leveling" bracket for the radome. If not, do you get much clutter when boat heels over at high angles?

Thanks again for input. You sound pretty dedicated to go up the mast on a day like that. I'll be hauled out for my install otherwise I'd probably drop my radome overboard with my luck

I used a Garmin HD 18" dome, as I upgraded my plotter to a Garmin 5208 touchscreen at the same time. I used a Scanstrut fixed mount. It does give some clutter at more than 20 degrees of heel, but if you're over that far, the boat loses its efficiency anyway and needs to be retrimmed. The self-leveling brackets are a LOT more expensive, and make the radome project further out from the mast. The wiring through the compression post is a challenge, but can be done if you're persistent. Good luck!