How to fish wire thru the mast

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M

Michael

I have been quoted a rather hefty price by my local boat yard to fish wire thru the mast (32' Oday). Is this something I can do? (I have a 100' fish tape)
 
G

Gord May

YES, you can

fish a wire through your mast, just as easily as can a "yard-monkey" (no disparagement implied - I've been one). Hope your mast is down, and you don't have to go aloft. Gord
 
S

Shane

I have heard but never tried

That if you attach a string to a steel bolt and drop it down the mast and use a strong magnet (on the outside) to keep the bolt at the side of the mast you can guide the string down the mast with out getting it tangled. Then you use the string to pull the wire through the mast. If you try this let me know how it works. Shane.
 

Rick D

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Jun 14, 2008
7,182
Hunter Legend 40.5 Shoreline Marina Long Beach CA
Bike Chain

Someone in a publication suggested using a bike chain tied to a messenger line. Theory is the chain is a small cross-section and will snake around obstructions. RD
 
J

Jack Jackson

The string and magnet method works!

I used the string and magnet method to snake a wire up the mast of my ODay 25. The mast was on sawhorses at the time. I took the masthead casting off, then tied a nut to some nylon string. I fed the string from the top of the mast and used the magnet to pull it down to the bottom. It took two or three tries, but worked surprisingly well. I attached my wire to the string and pulled the whole thing back up. Total project time was about an hour. Jack Jackson
 
G

Gord May

Your Fish Tape

is probably the easiest way to fish the mast. These other (magnet & chain) ideas are more in the way of substitutes. Good luck. Gord
 
G

Gord May

Your Fish Tape

is probably the easiest way to fish the mast. These other (magnet & chain) ideas are more in the way of substitutes. Good luck. Gord
 
W

Warren

Measuring Tape

Depending on how long your mast is, a long "tape" may do the job.
 
B

Bill

More info

With mast down and mast head off, ran a stiff wire on my 24 ft. mast thru a small access hole near the base of the mast to the top of the mast. Then secured my VHF coax to the wire and pulled it back down through the mast and out the access hole through a rubber grommet. Seemed to work fine. Good luck.
 
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