Mast Electric Connector

[kclancy]

Hi All -

I am installing a new connector for the mast electric. I am confused about the ground. It looks like all the wires coming from the boat are the same. See picture. Does it matter which wire goes in each slot? Maybe the ground wire is from the mast? I haven't taken that apart yet.

Also, there is not much wire to work with from the boat. Should I splice some wire on to the existing wire? Are there any tricks to getting the wires all in their slots?

This looks like ti can be a pain in the butt.

All the best,
Kevin

 

[kclancy]

This is what is coming out of the mast. I have a white, blue, green, and red wire.

 

[Don S/V ILLusion]

Unless you have both the wiring diagram and assurance that some prior owner did not do anything wrong, determining polarity is essential. Easily done with nothing more than a simple voltmeter which can indicate polarity.

if you intend to splice wires, doing so to ensure solid connections and that no moisture can affect the wires is essential. With mast wiring, it’s common practice to use terminal blocks designed for wet environments (brass or stainless) so as to allow ease of disconnecting when stepping the mast

 

[MikeHoncho]

Yea, I’m confused. Are you asking if the ground isn’t a wire and is depending on how the grounding of the mast itself? If so, that’s a terrible plan. If not then you’ll need to trace each circuit for proper switch/breaker/fuse layout. Each circuit should have its own ground.

 

[dlochner]

It is common practice to have one DC- for a masthead light. In DC wiring the negative should be black or yellow, in AC wiring the ground should be green.

At the cabin top there appears to be one black wire hiding behind the 3 red ones, if so, that is probably the DC-.

There does not appear to be enough space to extend the wires, you may have to replace the wires or find another type of connector.

While you have the fitting off, make certain the wood core in the deck is sealed with epoxy to prevent any water from entering the wood and rotting it.

 

[Jacktar]

Trace back the red wires to whatever color they are inside the boat, looks like really poor repair of some previous connector. From the mast if they followed the catalina colors, white would be anchor +, red streaming +, blue maybe deck light+ and green most likely ground. Again voltmeter should help with verifying. The terminal block inside below mast connector is really good way to set it up and trouble shoot when needed. pix of my setup below.

 

[danooxnard]

Here is a link to the post you made back in 2022 with pretty much the same question. Lots of good tips here. Dano

Mast lights

Hey gang - I'm having trouble with the anchor and steaming/deck lights and looking for suggestions as to what the problem might be. All the other systems work fine. The electrical system is totally new to me. My last C22 didn't have any electrical. The connection to the mast wires is a...

forums.sailboatowners.com

 

[kclancy]

Here is a link to the post you made back in 2022 with pretty much the same question. Lots of good tips here. Dano

Mast lights

Hey gang - I'm having trouble with the anchor and steaming/deck lights and looking for suggestions as to what the problem might be. All the other systems work fine. The electrical system is totally new to me. My last C22 didn't have any electrical. The connection to the mast wires is a...

forums.sailboatowners.com

I still couldn't figure it out. I'm sure it will all make sense eventually. This is definitely not my bag.

 

[kclancy]

Trace back the red wires to whatever color they are inside the boat, looks like really poor repair of some previous connector. From the mast if they followed the catalina colors, white would be anchor +, red streaming +, blue maybe deck light+ and green most likely ground. Again voltmeter should help with verifying. The terminal block inside below mast connector is really good way to set it up and trouble shoot when needed. pix of my setup below.

I think I get what you are saying. I can trace each red wire to the switch panel, probably by turning on each switch individually to detect a current that is associated with that switch? Then I line up everything with the wires from the mast. I am going to assume initially that the previous owner used the Catalina colors. It sounds like something he would do. Then I test to make sure everything works. I'll replace all the bulbs while the mast is down too.

I can't get my head around the terminal blocks and they work. I'm going to do a little research on that.

Thanks

 

[Gene Neill]

Dang. I was hoping this was a thread about the best connector to use.

 

[LakeShark]

Dang. I was hoping this was a thread about the best connector to use.

Oh we would not want to disappoint now would we.

Amazon.com

 

[Rltgold]

Gene, I am going post post the connector I have been currently using for the last year.