Advice on install Raymarine Wind Indicator on Hunter 326

Dec 7, 2017
10
Hunter 326 Holiday Marina; Lake Lanier
I have a 2003 Hunter 326 and I intend to install a Raymarine ST60 wind indicator. Does anyone have experience doing this? If so, do you have any hints, warnings or comments that might help?
I am assuming that it would be best to pull the boat and drop the mast (as opposed to having someone go up the mast).
Any recommendations?
 
Oct 29, 2016
1,915
Hunter 41 DS Port Huron
Do you have a wind indicator now that you are replacing? and if so is it a Raymarine unit that may share the same base? Is there cabling already installed which would allow you to pull the new cable in? Taking the mast down is not the big a deal if you have a jib crane you can use, if don't have a jib crane at your disposal then I would be looking at installing while the mast is up.
 
Dec 7, 2017
10
Hunter 326 Holiday Marina; Lake Lanier
I do not currently have a wind indicator installed, nor has one ever been installed on the boat. So, no cabling or anything else from a previous installation. I do have access to a crane for taking the mast down and putting it back up.
 
Oct 29, 2016
1,915
Hunter 41 DS Port Huron
Taking your responses into consideration I would be inclided to keep both feet on the ground, couple of sturdy saw horses and you will be off to the races......
 
Jan 2, 2017
765
O'Day & Islander 322 & 37 Scottsdale, AZ & Owls Head, ME
I use Raymarine's wireless systems on both my boats. Work great and no need to dismast or thread new wires. Someone just needs to go up the mast and fasten on the solar powered wind indicator and you’re good to go.
 
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Joe

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Jun 1, 2004
7,999
Catalina 27 Mission Bay, San Diego
You shouldn't have to drop the mast for that. The bracket is easy to install. The hardest part will be fishing the cable. It's about a 1 hour job for a pro rigger. Dropping the mast may cost a couple hundred and requires a couple hours of disassembly..... but if you do drop the mast, make a list of maintenance and upgrade projects such as new vhf and ais antennae plus thorough rigging inspection.
 
Oct 22, 2014
20,995
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
Fitting the hardware on the mast head is easier with the mast down in saw horses. You want as many as will keep the mast from bending ( at least 4).

No mention if you have hast the mast down before. As @Joe wisely shares this is a great time to inspect and refit the mast hardware. The boat is identified as a 2003 Hunter. Plenty of time for the sheaves to become worn, wires in the mast to need attention, lights and light bulbs to be replaced or at least corrosion cleaned, and as Joe shares the standing rigging carefully examined and replaced as needed. You’ll get a new bit of gear installed and the rig will be ready for another 18 years.
 
Feb 21, 2013
4,638
Hunter 46 Point Richmond, CA
I installed a TackTick wireless wind meter on my Hunter 31 without dropping the mast. It worked very well. Since July 2011 TackTick marine instruments are part of Raymarine.
 
Jan 22, 2008
68
Hunter 30_88-94 Ipswich, Ma MA
My advice would be to drop the mast. I would think it would be next to impossible to fish the cable down thru the bottom of the mast into the access area at the top of the compression post.
We have an i60 anemometer cable, a radar cable, as well as the steaming and mast light wiring all coming down to the access area, so it gets pretty crowded.
You may have to get a conversation kit if you boat has an older Seatalk system.
We use to store our at a yard where we had to un-srep the mast in the Fall and step it in the Spring. We’d bundle the cables and wires together making it easier to pull them through the sleeve when the mast went back on. Everything is on jumpers which made it easier to disconnect and reconnect everything.