Hunter 35.5 Masthead

[Dave from Mi.]

Hi to all;Dave from Michigan here. I am a Catalina owner looking for some help from Hunter owners. I have a friend who has a 1994 Hunter 35.5. He wants to install a TV antenna on the mast head and drop a coax down the inside of the mast. The reason I am asking and not him, is he goes about 200 lbs. and I run about 145. Guess who is going to get "cranked up" the mast? ME! (He stores mast up, so will do when weather breaks.)In the Catalina mast there is a 1" pvc from top to bottom to hold all the electrical wires, and I ran my TV coax down that to prevent banging when the boat rocks. Does Hunter have the same type of setup? Could you direct me to a site where I can view a diagram of the masthead? Anything I should look out for? I will also be installing a small round flat TV antenna while up there. (Boy, is he going to owe me big time!)Thanks in advance for the help.Fair windsDave

 

[Jim Rushing]

Well Dave

I pulled my mast about 8 years ago and mounted the TV antenna. It has been a long time, but I think I remember a wiring tube down the mast. At the same time I replaced the mast head light, as they tend to age from the elements. I also ran every halyard that could be put in the mast.

 

[Dave from Mi.]

Masthead light

Thanks Jim;Since his mast has not been down or inspected for several years, I plan on looking over everything while I am up there. I will pay special attention to the masthead light, and of course all the standing rigging connections.fair windsDave

 

[Bob]

At least one

Yes there is a tube that runs down the inside of the mast. You can locate the tube by finding the pop rivits that retain the tube to the mast. I just can't remember if there is one or two inside the mast.

 

[nick8481]

Who Makes the mast

When I needed same info I called selden who makes my mast and they were very helpful and even sent some booklets on running wires.I needed to drop the mast to add radar and ST60 wind. nick

 

[Alan]

Nick

I have '93 with an Isomat mast. From your photo it appears that the top of your mast is not tapered. Can you confirm this? Thanks

 

[nick8481]

Not tapered

No its not tapered,pretty much same size top to bottom. nick

 

[Capt'n Bob]

Nothin's Easy

Dave, You have a most difficult task ahead of you if you try and install and connect up the TV antenna while the mast is on the boat.It will most probably be that easy to climb the mast, drill the holes, mount the antenna and lead the TV cable into the mast itself.Now comes the hard part as the entry of the cable into the cabin is through a small 1.5 inch hole at the bottom of the mast shoe that is no where near the bottom outlet of the electrical tube. Hopefully the hole is not sealed over as some owners may have done.You will need a messanger line that goes from inside the cabin up into the mast and then up to the top of the mast that will lead the tv cable back down into the cabin.I have installed a tv antenna on my mast (Shakspear from West Marine) but the mast was off the boat. I don't recall if I fed the cable into the electrical tube - but it can be done if the mast is off the boat - you can get the top cap off, reach down inside the mast to fish the cable up and into the tube. I think you will find this task almost impossible while sitting in a bosun chair over 60 feet in air while sitting on the hard. Especially so if there are no messenger lines in place.A messanger line is needed to pull the cable down inside the tube, into the mast base and in your case - into the cabin. Bet a dollar the last owner did not install a mast messanger in the tube that leads into the cabin.My mast is from Isomat as are most others on HL 35 and 35.5'sWho made the mast you are about to learn to hate ??In summay I would not try and install any mast top units be it a new wind vane, antenna or nav lite while the mast is on the boat. The really hard part is getting the wire down the mast properly, into the cabin and then led via the right pathway to the instrument or power panel as the case may be.It is not that hard to take the mast off and do it right. Dollare wise - locally it is a 300 dollar item - but in my case it is mandatory.I have had my mast off my HL 35 four times in the last five years and I learn someting new every time.My HL35 was badly damaged during Hurricane IVAN and while in the yard this time dropped the mast for inspection and the installation of a new Ramar wind vane/speed tramsmitter. I had some major damage to the mast that was not visable from the ground - broken spreader bar, split top cap weld etc. The side and forestay shrouds will be replaced for safety sake - 17 years and one major Hurricane deems it doo-able.I have some pictures of the mast, the deck shoe and other items if you are intested.I am trying to learn how to take a dedicated flash picture with my digital camera so as to show the top of the electrical tube inside the top of the Isomat mast. Dark in there. So far - not that easyIn any case I would not recommend you try and install any mast head items while the mast is on the boat. Lite bulb - yeah ok.As such - you will find in a very short timeNothin's easyRD

 

[Dave from Mi.]

Thanks

Bob, Capt'n Bob, Nick and Alan;Thanks for the info. Capt'n Bob, I really appreciate your advice. I am one of the few people in our marina with a bosun's chair, and I only weigh about 150, so I have many hours on top of 40 to 50 ft. "sticks". I understand what you are saying. On my Catalina, I am able to remove the blocks at the bottom of the mast where the halyards exit and I have about a 4x4 inch opening that will allow me to access the mast step. Does the 35.5 have anything like that which would help us feed the coax cable thru that opening you mentioned? If not, I suspect I will buy him a pair of "rabbit ears" to use until he steps the mast sometime in the future. I have commited to go up his stick to inspect his rigging and "stuff", so I will take a look and go from there. Again, thanks for all the advice, that is what these boards are all about.fair windsDave

 

[nick8481]

Hard part

Try looking at the bottom of the mast to see where the wires are coming out,it would be good to know how the wires will run inside the mast,than making sure you can send a snake down the mast from the top and out the bottom before doing anything else.My mast is off the boat and I had plenty of info but I am adding alot of stuff,radar,wind unit,thank god I had the mast down,I already had run the wires inside the boat,your hardest part is first running the wire and mounting the unit. nick

 

[Dave from Mi.]

Pictures!

Hi Nick;Thanks for the close-up picture. If his mast is like yours, Capt.Bob is correct, the mounting of the hardware on the top of the mast will not be that difficult. If I have led a good, clean, Christen life, the previous owner will have left a tracer line in the cable conduit. That being said, I am prepariing for big chore snaking a new cable down that mast;-))) I agree that running and routing the cable to its ultimate destination will be the biggest problem. We must get the cable run before anything else. We will know in a couple of months. I will report the results back on this board.Thanks again for all the ideas and help.fair windsDave

 

[Captn Bob]

A picture is not a picture

Dave,I trust you realize that the picture that Nic provided is not a Hunter 35 mast made by ISOMAT.RD

 

[Patrick Lombard]

Temp Setup

Last year I installed a TV/AM/FM power antenna at the mast head. Ran the wire down the back stay for the time being till I step the mast next year. Then I will run the wire down the mast tube. I zip strip the wire onto the back stay ever 2 feet and rapped with tape. I have a Hunter 31. Don't forget to leave a drip loop and a connector on the wire at the mast base, so you can disconnect next time you step the mast

 

[Patrick Lombard]

Temp Setup 2

Temp Setup 2

 

[Patrick Lombard]

Temp Setup 3

Temp Setup 3

 

[Dave from Mi.]

Thanks again

Thanks Patrick, that may be a solution for this summer, we will see. Capt. Bob, yes, understand, not the same mast that my friends has.Fair windsDave