I have a 1980 oday, new to me, the mast wiring is brittle and broken off at base of mast as the wire comes thru the top of cabin. How does this wire run from the accessory panel out to the top of deck. Does the bulkhead need to be taken out to reach the wiring?, Where would I run a replacement wire for the mast lighting? Thanks.
mast lighting wiring
- Thread starter dennyg4
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Denny, I have a 1980 23 a very similar boat to your 25. I have a female recpticle imbeaded in the top of my cabin. I was able to find a direct replacement from West Marine. The biggest problem I had was insuficent wire length to connect the new fitting. It was a struggle but I was able to get it installed.
It sounds like you do not have this fitting. I learned this past winter when I had my port bulkhead out for repairs that for about 4" the wire was exposed in the trough moulded into the cabin top that the bulkhead slides into. The wire than disapears into the cabin top.
To remove the port bulkhead, you will need to remove the compression post first, than slightly jack the cabin ceiling up about 1/4" than the bulkhead will slide our after all the fasteners are removed.
Keep in mind my boat is a 23, double check with a fellow 25 owner. Good Luck
It sounds like you do not have this fitting. I learned this past winter when I had my port bulkhead out for repairs that for about 4" the wire was exposed in the trough moulded into the cabin top that the bulkhead slides into. The wire than disapears into the cabin top.
To remove the port bulkhead, you will need to remove the compression post first, than slightly jack the cabin ceiling up about 1/4" than the bulkhead will slide our after all the fasteners are removed.
Keep in mind my boat is a 23, double check with a fellow 25 owner. Good Luck
Denny,
The wiring inside the cabin that feeds up through a hole to the base of the mast, is probably is in good condition. If you can find the spot where it goes through the fiberglass to the mast, you should be able to uncover enough of the two or three wire conductors to be able to splice on some new wires to them and replace the old wires. I would stagger the splices and use heat shrink insulation tubes over the splices. If you have just an anchor light, then you probably only have two wires to hook up. On the other hand, if you have a mast head light, and a steaming light, the mast head light will be on one breaker and the steaming light will be on another breaker with the running lights with both lights having a common ground going to them.
Joe
thanks for info, I think the wire goes directly into the ceiling trough, look like only way to replace woud be to remove remove port bulk head, or to lift the deck high enough to reach the wire to see if enough slack to lengthen. Right now will do something temporay and ponder the next step. Thanks again. Denny
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