393 wire routing

mpl239

.
Aug 16, 2015
4
Beneteau 393 Oakland,CA
I have just purchased a Raymarine digital radar for my 393. It will be mast mounted. No problem getting the cable down the mast and out. Where do I go from here? I do not want to drill a cable hole in the deck without being knowledgeable of what lies underneath; once through the deck, how do I route it to get to the helm?

I am an engineer and experienced airplane mechanic, but this is my first large sailboat and would like to hear from the voice of experience. I have seen people try to do lots of things that generally work at some level, usually safety be damned. I will not have that kind of backyard engineering in my vessel, hence the question.


Mike
 
Oct 6, 2010
119
Beneteau Oceanus 321 Carters Pt.
On our B 321 there is an acess panel located inside boat under mast step (deck step mast) this gives you an idea where to drill through deck .As for the run from ther to helm our boat has conduit running through the boat and some runs even have a pre run cord used to pull cables through (if your lucky)An electricians fish tape is a valuable tool to have along with patience.
 

Tejas

.
Dec 15, 2010
164
Beneteau First 36.7 Lake Travis
Where ever you drill, I think you'll want to drill in place were the deck is not cored. If you do end up drilling through coring, you should probably want to seal the hole, such as described by Maine Sail in one of his tutorials.
 

DougM

.
Jul 24, 2005
2,242
Beneteau 323 Manistee, MI
On our B 321 there is an acess panel located inside boat under mast step (deck step mast) this gives you an idea where to drill through deck .As for the run from ther to helm our boat has conduit running through the boat and some runs even have a pre run cord used to pull cables through (if your lucky)An electricians fish tape is a valuable tool to have along with patience.
The 323 that I own is similar in configuration. There should be a plastic conduit running athwart ship that would be visible from the access panel aft oft the mast. All of the cables exit the mast on the starboard side (wind indicator, VHF antenna, masthead light, anchor light). The cables are routed through sealed fittings forward of the mast.all of the cables are connected in junction boxes below the deck and within the access. From there they are routed starboard, then back to the electrical panel.

You should have a manual with the boat which includes a section with diagrams of all the conduit locations as well as electrical diagrams. You may also be able to find it on line at BeneteauUSA.com . By the way, if there is a pull cord in the conduit, it could be stuck to the edge of the conduit with adhesive during the assembly process. When you pull your new cable through, bring another messenger line along with it. You may need to pull another wire in the future. If there is no messenger there, you could try throng a light string to a cotton ball at the opposite end of the conduit and suck it through the conduit with a shop vac.
 
Jun 1, 2004
227
Beneteau 393 Newport
Look inside the cabin adjacent to the compression post and you will see a segment of the overhead that appears as a piece of paneling. Remove that and you will have access to the base of the mast and the wireway leading back to the control panel. You can determine where to make your hole in the deck.
From the control panel there are other wireways that lead back to the helm.
I mounted my radar on the arch with an 18" riser for ease of installation and less swaying of the radar when sailing.
Jim (393 owner)
 

mpl239

.
Aug 16, 2015
4
Beneteau 393 Oakland,CA
Thanks to all

I am on travel for the next three weeks and will get back to the 393 then. After executing a successful install with all of this timely advice, I will report back. Again thanks to all.