Boat wiring

[wflowe2]

My 1989 Hunter 30 is on the hard for the winter and the mast is down. I'd like to add a wind transducer and readout but I can't figure out where the wires from my mast go after they pass through the deck. My headliner is not removable and there is no indication of where The wires are routed, they just end up at the electrical panel. Anyone know of a wire tracing gadget or something?

 

[Witzend]

In the telco industry they use a gadget called "Fox and Hound". Basically it is a transmitter and receiver, connect the transmitter on a wire and you can trace it's proximity by the signal level in the receiver. Not sure where you can get one anymore. Try these guys:
http://www.lashen.com/vendors/triplett/fox_hound.asp

 

[Cayennita]

I had a Hunter Legend 35 that had an overhead reinforced fiberglass "spreader" from the top of the compression post to the sides by the chain plates. This was the passage for all the wires including mast head instruments. Yours might be the same. I tied 2 messenger lines to one of the wires and pulled it through. This way you will also have one line left in place for future wire pulling.
You may have the same configuration

 

[seadaddler]

Why Not

Why not go with wireless.

 

[navigator97]

If it didn't already have a wind S/D transmitter at the mast top, then there may not be wind instrument cable running up to the deck under the mast. My wind inst. cable (on 1990 Hunter 33.5) runs down the mast in a wire 'chase', comes out of the mast thru a small in the side of the mast with a rubber grommet and goes down thru the deck thru a Blue Seas Cable Clam (it has a solid rubber center insert that you drill a hole thru for a tight fit to the cable). Cable then runs down the bulkhead next to the head door and is held in place with nylon cable clamps. It then runs thru the dry bilge under the sole, goes thru the port side of the engine compartment bulkhead, up the side of that and into the overhead across to the back of the wind display unit on the forward starboard side of the cockpit. For unstepping the mast I put a plastic junction box ("Project Box") in the dry bilge opposite the head area with a "Euro" terminal strip inside. Hope some of this helps.
Dick, S/V Puffin

 

[Bill Roosa]

Wire routing

On my 40.5 the wires exit the bottom of the mast, run through a stand pipe in the deck to a junction box so they can be disconnected when you pull the mast. From there they travel to starboard along the molded beam to the toe rail area and aft to the electrical panel. They continue along the starboard toe rail to the stern lazeret then head inboard in the lazeret to the rudder wire cover to the helm.
There are numerous other routing possibilities but ease of running the wire ended up being the determining factor. Welcome to the club of intrepid individuals who brave boat wire routing.

 

[svenusa]

Hey Bill, My Beneteau owners manual shows where the conduits are routed above the headliner.. Maybe catalina included that in there owners handbook ?

 

[Dave Groshong]

I agree with SeaDaddler, go wireless, the TackTick unit is somewhere around $700 and very nice.

 

[wflowe2]

Wireless sounds great but I already have the wired equipment.

 

[Ed Schenck]

Confusion reigns here. Your name and location indicate a Catalina 320. But I think that you are asking about an older Hunter 30. I do not think I have seen an H30 owner respond. Any H30 owner is going to know how the wires run. I always thought they ran down inside the cover for the mast support. My own mast is keel-stepped so I am no help.

 

[wflowe2]

I am actually helping a friend ( he doesn't use a computer) with his Hunter 30 so I worded the question as if it were my boat. I do have A Catalina but I'm looking for info on the Hunter. Sorry for the confusion.