Mast Lights / Antenna?

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B

Bob

Our new old boat is going back together entirely to easily. Something gotta be wrong! Does anyone know how the mast on a 1976 Hunter 30 was originally wired. I have two wires going through the roof to a plug on a wire on the top of the cabin. The hole in the cabin is just covered with silicone or something similar. The mast is on lying on the deck at the moment, I climbed up on a ladder to look at the deck end of the mast three or four times and I cannot for the life of me find any plug in connection in the mast (even in the sail track) The wire going through the roof is only 12-16" long so it cant be to far up the mast but I dont see it. A lot of the rigging is tied to the mast for storage at the moment so I may be missing it but I don't think so. It only has two steaming lights near the spreader, no anchor light. Is that original? I have read all the archives and don't find too much of anything. There were a few articles about a channel inside the mast to keep the wires from slapping. Is this true? Is the channel big enough for the steaming light wire, the anchor light wire and a new antenna cable? Any pieces of info would be greatly appreciated. A wiring diagram perhaps? Or does that make it too easy. that
 
J

Jim

Let's sort this out.....

Bob, I have no idea how your H-30 may have been wired from the factory, but the chances are good that since 1976 previous owners have changed things, rewired the mast, or cut off wiring and/or plugs. You have to deal with the wiring that exists now. If you have two wires going to one plug, you essentially have one wire, and I assume that is for the steaming light. Why you have two steaming lights? I can't answer. There should at least be a small hole in the mast about 10" up from the deck, where the corresponding wire from the steamer exited and made connectionj to the one coming up through the deck. Maybe PO cut off the wire or it broke off within the mast? Where does the antenna cable run, or are you adding an antenna and an anchor light. Did the PO/seller tell you the lights worked? We need to sort this message out and take it on one issue at a time. Can we do that? Jim
 
B

Bob

Sorting

There were no guarantess with what I paid for the boat and the PO made no representations. Weather has been such that I have had most of the interior inside and working on that so Ihavent had much time to asses the outside. There is no existing antenna in the mast or on the boat for that matter, and thats on my list of things to do. The only two wires (which I havent traced to thier source yet) come up from the starboard side, over the hanging locker and up through the roof (silicone covered hold. Its one pair of wires, and my best guess would be that they were for the steaming lights. I did take a look at the steaming lights (a quick look) and it looks like there is one small on on each side of the mast near the spreader. I will replace the lights if need be. There is no anchor light at all, and for that matter no hole in the top of the mast to indicate there was one. I am told there is a channel inside the mast, but I have not taken the base of the mast off the mast itself yet. I am replacing all of the wiring, or at least most of it, and replacing the panel as well (I think its a blue sea #8084) so there will be no oveloaded circuits and no fuses every three feet when I am done. Your assumption is correct that the PO could have removed the wiring, but I don't have a clue why. There seems like there should be some type of connector in the side of the mast at the base or in the sail track for the two wires coming through the roof to connect to. There is a two pronged connector at the end of the wires. I may just have to drill in a new connector, and run new wires up the inside of the mast, but I am big on planning, and learning as much as I can before I rip things apart. MY big concern is how to fasten the new wires inside the mast, to keep them from banging / slapping / chafing. I can fasten them at the top and at the steaming lights and at the bottom but thats a lot of free wire otherwise. Maybe one of those blask plastic flexible conduits like they use under the hood of a car, at least it would stop the chafing to some degree.
 
J

Jim

Start from scratch

Bob, I think your best bet is to start from scratch with the mast wiring. Pick up or borrow a mast snake or a plumbing snake and pull all new wires up through the mast for the steamer, anchor and antenna. Rewire the steamer(s) with the new wire. If you don't have a conduit already in the mast, feed the wires through foam plumbing insulation in sections and tape them up as you feed up into the mast pulling them with the snake. You'll probably have to remove your masthead to do all of this. You will also have to add another deck plug or two. An easy step by step job, one person to gently feed, one person to gently pull.
 
B

Bob

starting from scratch.......Jim??

Jim, do you know if there is some kind of a wiring channel/ slot/groove inside the mast. I saw several post in the archives that indicated that there was, but it seemed more speculation than absolute
 
J

Jim

Wiring channel?

Bob, I have an H-27, I do not know whether your mast has a channel or not (your H-30). It should be fairly obvious if you look inside the base of the mast. There may be dams inside your mast, check for that before you pull out the old wiring. Your old wiring may well serve as the messenger to pull your new wires through the mast and possible dam passageways. You have two tools at hand to help you, the old wire and the mast snake. If your masthead is screwed on, remove it and use a Maglite to check for dams in both directions, from the top down and from the bottom up. Rewiring a mast is a simple and straighforward job, examine the mast internally, and proceed as necessary. Maybe you'll be lucky <G> and the Maglite will shine directly into the eyes of your buddy at the other end. If there is no light at the other end check closer for dams, and birdsnests. I have pulled many nests/beehives out of a mast LOL........Jim
 
Jun 4, 2004
12
- - Deltaville, VA
Mine had one

My '78 H30 had a 3/4" conduit riveted in place. It was not large to carry all of the wiring I had to install when I re-wired (Antenna, Masthead Tri, Spreader Light, and Wind Indicator). But it does help organize the wires that will fit. You should be able to seee a row of vertical rivets running up the mast.
 
Feb 17, 2004
268
Hunter 30_74-83 Lower Salford, PA / Tolchester,MD marina
The good news and the bad news

Bob The good news is your stick is down so you can work on the mast. The bad news is you about to make an investment. The group opinion, which I agree with, is you need to re-wire. You need an anchor light at the top of the mast, a steaming light at the spreaders and any else is your option, such as radio atenna, tv dish, wind speed-wind direction, and windex. You will have a riveted channel 3/4" to work in for all wires. They will not fit. You will also have blockage at the spreaders which you need to work around. If you do not use the channel you will have a mast-slap with your wires every time the boat rocks. There is no way to stop 38' of hanging wire from banging against the inside of your mast unles it goes in the channel or is covered with foam such as the stuff sold for covering copper plumming pipes. Do not forget the halyards that also will run in the mast. Start soaking the masthead bolts as this will have to come off. Good time to check both sheeves for the make sure they turn easy. buy a wire snake at Home Depot, Sears Hardware and also bottle of wire lubricant for wire pulling. Both of these in the electrical section. You may also be able to use old wires to pull the new ones through the small channel. Make sure you use plenty of goop. Make sure you number both ends with magic marker so you know which wire is what. I would replace the steaming light and anchor light regardless of condition as this is cheap insurance. The steaming light can also be a combination with deck light. Nice ones out there for $50-$75. Good luck Ian
 
H

Hugh

Consider LED

LED lights are more expensive, but use about 1/10 the power, and are supposed to last years longer than conventional lights. There are numerous suppliers all over the net, but I finally settled on about a 79 dollar anchor light, and a 25 dollar LED "bulb" made to fit into a regular aqua signal series 25 steaming light. I'll have an old style deck light, but I won't leave that on all night. It seems to me the extra expense is made up in power savings, especially anchoring, and in the prospect of not having to climb the mast as much.
 

Gene G

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Jun 11, 2004
38
- - Austin, Tx
think about wire size

If you are re-wiring, plan a bit on the wire size. Going a size larger on the wire size will give you brighter lights for the same amount of power. Also, think about all the lights you might have on at once (running and deck, anchor and deck, running, deck and steaming, etc) be sure to size the ground for the combined load of ALL the lights that could be on together. Also, using the best coax you can get will do a lot for the range of your VHF. It's cheap at that stage.
 
B

Bob

Wire Size

I had planned on at least 14 AWG for the mast lights. I am open to better ideas, I am allergic to electricity.
 
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