We have the mast from our 1976 C-30 unstepped and have completed the painting. That part looks great...but we really need to replace all the wires. Problem is, the mast is FULL of foam. It looks like it was sprayed in and certainly keeps the wires quiet, but also makes it impossible to run new wires. Any suggestions as to how to get that stuff out?
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Use the PO?
How about stuffing the previous owner into the mast and having him/her pull the foam out? Not one of the best "improvements" I've heard about. What about your halyards? Are they foamed in place, too?
How about stuffing the previous owner into the mast and having him/her pull the foam out? Not one of the best "improvements" I've heard about. What about your halyards? Are they foamed in place, too?
10 Gallons of Acetone
You'll lose that foam faster than a red-headed stepkid. If you can come up with a way of spraying it in. Don't light up while your doing it or your mast will go Ka-boom!
You'll lose that foam faster than a red-headed stepkid. If you can come up with a way of spraying it in. Don't light up while your doing it or your mast will go Ka-boom!
Great Safety Factor
Not a Catilina owner but can tell you that a foam filled mast is a great safety factor in the event of a knockdown or worse. The buoyancy provided by the mast is tremendous. I'm trying to figure out how to fill my mast with foam. I'm a beliver that all wiring and plumbing in a boat should be exposed so suggest running your wiring on the outside and leaving the faom in place.
Not a Catilina owner but can tell you that a foam filled mast is a great safety factor in the event of a knockdown or worse. The buoyancy provided by the mast is tremendous. I'm trying to figure out how to fill my mast with foam. I'm a beliver that all wiring and plumbing in a boat should be exposed so suggest running your wiring on the outside and leaving the faom in place.
Foamed Mast
Have you checked to see if there is conduit inside the mast for the wires? You may find that there is conduit part way up the mast and that the foam is outside the conduit. Check for pop rivits on the mast that aren't associated with anything on the outside. Even if there isn't a conduit you can probably pull the wires through the foam. Just tie a good strong string onto one end with about a dozen half hitches and tape over. Then detach the wire and start pulling. Its usually best to pull from the top and it helps to have someone at the bottom of the mast to keep the string from tangling. The wire is probably not stuck that tightly to the foam. When you have pulled the wire up to the top, use the string to pull a new wire down the mast. Use the same multiple half hitches and tape and try to taper the wire-to-string joint with tape to make pulling smoother. I used blue masking tape and polyester surveyors string which is braided rather than twisted and doesn't stretch as much as nylon. It worked fine for me as my wires were in PVC conduits but they were tight and I added a wire so it wasn't easy. Give it a try and see if the wire can be pulled through the foam. I'd foam my mast too but I have internal halyards and I don't think it would be a good idea. It is probably not a bad idea to leave a string in place after you are done (pull two strings up and use only one to pull the last wire back). Tie the top somewhere on the mast head and the other end down at the bottom of the mast. When you need another wire you will already have a string in place. Make sure you protect a synthetic string from sunlight or it will be gone in a year or two.
Have you checked to see if there is conduit inside the mast for the wires? You may find that there is conduit part way up the mast and that the foam is outside the conduit. Check for pop rivits on the mast that aren't associated with anything on the outside. Even if there isn't a conduit you can probably pull the wires through the foam. Just tie a good strong string onto one end with about a dozen half hitches and tape over. Then detach the wire and start pulling. Its usually best to pull from the top and it helps to have someone at the bottom of the mast to keep the string from tangling. The wire is probably not stuck that tightly to the foam. When you have pulled the wire up to the top, use the string to pull a new wire down the mast. Use the same multiple half hitches and tape and try to taper the wire-to-string joint with tape to make pulling smoother. I used blue masking tape and polyester surveyors string which is braided rather than twisted and doesn't stretch as much as nylon. It worked fine for me as my wires were in PVC conduits but they were tight and I added a wire so it wasn't easy. Give it a try and see if the wire can be pulled through the foam. I'd foam my mast too but I have internal halyards and I don't think it would be a good idea. It is probably not a bad idea to leave a string in place after you are done (pull two strings up and use only one to pull the last wire back). Tie the top somewhere on the mast head and the other end down at the bottom of the mast. When you need another wire you will already have a string in place. Make sure you protect a synthetic string from sunlight or it will be gone in a year or two.
Any chance you can use existing wiring like
an electricians tape to fish the new wires in ? I'd try pulling the old wires back & forth a little to see if maybe the foam is soft enough for them to cut a little channel. If you can pull the old wires with a cable attached you can maybe create a run thru the foam for wires by "chasing" them with something.
an electricians tape to fish the new wires in ? I'd try pulling the old wires back & forth a little to see if maybe the foam is soft enough for them to cut a little channel. If you can pull the old wires with a cable attached you can maybe create a run thru the foam for wires by "chasing" them with something.
Thanks for the info
While I really like the idea of using the PO, I guess we will try to insert new wires as suggested. The acetone might be a good idea, but we don't want to mess up new mast paint. We love our C30, but the previous owners did things on the cheap and we have spent lots of time and $ re-doing lots of them.
While I really like the idea of using the PO, I guess we will try to insert new wires as suggested. The acetone might be a good idea, but we don't want to mess up new mast paint. We love our C30, but the previous owners did things on the cheap and we have spent lots of time and $ re-doing lots of them.One of the attractions of my current boat
was that the PO's hadn't made any "improvements" to be corrected, don't worry, sounds like you are on your way to making stuff shipshape.
was that the PO's hadn't made any "improvements" to be corrected, don't worry, sounds like you are on your way to making stuff shipshape.
foam in mast
The foam-filled mast is a great idea. I used to sail small cats and a turtled boat with a mast filled with water is impossible to right. Even the ones with supposedly water tight masts. And I agree with Bob, the added floatation on a larger boat couldnt hurt. I remove the end cap and then fill the mast with styrene beads. (A good use for the filling in that old bean-bag pillow chair) Before you do the deed, run messenger lines for pulling any wiring or new or extra halyards. The new wiring or lines will pull easily through the beads and the added weight aloft is minimal. (unless you are a racer) fair winds Dave
The foam-filled mast is a great idea. I used to sail small cats and a turtled boat with a mast filled with water is impossible to right. Even the ones with supposedly water tight masts. And I agree with Bob, the added floatation on a larger boat couldnt hurt. I remove the end cap and then fill the mast with styrene beads. (A good use for the filling in that old bean-bag pillow chair) Before you do the deed, run messenger lines for pulling any wiring or new or extra halyards. The new wiring or lines will pull easily through the beads and the added weight aloft is minimal. (unless you are a racer) fair winds Dave
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