I have to remove the mast from my 1978 Islander 28 standard hull and wonder what type of connections I will find, if any, inside the bottom of the mast. Are the wires running from the hull up into the mast continuous or are they attached to those in the mast by means of connectors?
Electrical connections inside Islander 28 mast?
- Thread starter Donald L. Hendrix
- Start date
- Status
How do the wires enter the mast?
Is there a hole in the side at the foot? Or is the hole in the middle of the mast step? I can't believe that they would have stepped the mast with wire trailing from the bottom, to be threaded through a hole as the mast was lowered into place.
Is there a hole in the side at the foot? Or is the hole in the middle of the mast step? I can't believe that they would have stepped the mast with wire trailing from the bottom, to be threaded through a hole as the mast was lowered into place.
Hole in the side of the mast...however
Yes, there is an access hole near the bottom of the starboard side. However, this hole is covered with a plate which is held in place with six large stainless screws which, after being in the weather since 1978, are virtually impossible to turn. I have tried many times and am afraid of simply stripping their heads. I therefore can't open this hatch to see what is inside the bottom of the mast.
Yes, there is an access hole near the bottom of the starboard side. However, this hole is covered with a plate which is held in place with six large stainless screws which, after being in the weather since 1978, are virtually impossible to turn. I have tried many times and am afraid of simply stripping their heads. I therefore can't open this hatch to see what is inside the bottom of the mast.
Electrical Connections Inside Mast...
Thanks for the diagram, it printed out nicely. I am scheduled to have the mast unstepped on the 26th of this month and the diagram will be helpful. Now if I could just get the six stainless screws which hold the mast access plate in place out. I have been told by the ship repair company on the island to heat the screws with a torch and strike them with a hammer to free the oxidation which is binding the stainless screws to the aluminum mast. What do you think about this technique?
Thanks for the diagram, it printed out nicely. I am scheduled to have the mast unstepped on the 26th of this month and the diagram will be helpful. Now if I could just get the six stainless screws which hold the mast access plate in place out. I have been told by the ship repair company on the island to heat the screws with a torch and strike them with a hammer to free the oxidation which is binding the stainless screws to the aluminum mast. What do you think about this technique?
Penetrating Oil works sometines
Hello Don, Sometimes a little penetrating oil or lock ease with graphite in it will free up frozen threads. Squirt it on, tap the screws with a hammer, push down hard with the screwdriver and hope. Actually you won't have to worry about that plate when you have the mast off because you will be able to get at the wires via the hole in the end of the mast ... please see the pictures. Sincerely, Wayne Eastman
Hello Don, Sometimes a little penetrating oil or lock ease with graphite in it will free up frozen threads. Squirt it on, tap the screws with a hammer, push down hard with the screwdriver and hope. Actually you won't have to worry about that plate when you have the mast off because you will be able to get at the wires via the hole in the end of the mast ... please see the pictures. Sincerely, Wayne Eastman
Plate at mast bottom removed, at last!
I finally removed the six screws holding the access hatch cover in the starboard side of the mast base. What a job! I tried penetrating oil, heating with a torch, hammering on the screws to free them, etc. but the only thing which worked at all was using a tool made from a star drill. A friend and I ground off two of the drill's 'flukes' to make a sort of an all metal screw driver of tempered steel with a blade which fit the screw heads tightly. One person tapped on the outer end of this tool with a hammer while the blade end was in a screw head and the other would twist it slowly with vice grips (a sort of a 'manual' hammer drill). It took about 30 min to remove each screw via this method. One screw was in so tightly that the head snapped off - and these are fairly large screws (their heads are ca. 1/2" across). The tapping was essential to the screws' removal. If we didn't tap continuously, the screw wouldn't budge. The plate into which they were threaded was so corroded that they were difficult to turn their entire way out. Not a fun job. However, thanks for your input...I have really appreciated all the advice!
I finally removed the six screws holding the access hatch cover in the starboard side of the mast base. What a job! I tried penetrating oil, heating with a torch, hammering on the screws to free them, etc. but the only thing which worked at all was using a tool made from a star drill. A friend and I ground off two of the drill's 'flukes' to make a sort of an all metal screw driver of tempered steel with a blade which fit the screw heads tightly. One person tapped on the outer end of this tool with a hammer while the blade end was in a screw head and the other would twist it slowly with vice grips (a sort of a 'manual' hammer drill). It took about 30 min to remove each screw via this method. One screw was in so tightly that the head snapped off - and these are fairly large screws (their heads are ca. 1/2" across). The tapping was essential to the screws' removal. If we didn't tap continuously, the screw wouldn't budge. The plate into which they were threaded was so corroded that they were difficult to turn their entire way out. Not a fun job. However, thanks for your input...I have really appreciated all the advice!
- Status