I just purchased a new wind instrument and am now faced with the problem of installing it! I've searched Archives on this subject and found that the concensus is to remove the mast. I think this is what I'll probably do, but the question that seemed to never get answered directly in Archives is, what are the pro's and con's of running the wind vane wiring down the middle of the mast with the halyards? If I remove the mast, what are the resulting costs and obstacles? Comments please?
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I just did this
I just had the mast out for the first time. Quite an experience. I ran all new wire in the mast and replaced all the running and standing rigging. While you have the mast down it does not hurt to do it all. Since the Kenyon mast has a channel for the wiring it seems a shame not to use it. With all the halyards and action I think that the protection of a channel is worth it. The channel is small and the VHF antenna lead I just was big, so it was a tight fit. Good luck.
I just had the mast out for the first time. Quite an experience. I ran all new wire in the mast and replaced all the running and standing rigging. While you have the mast down it does not hurt to do it all. Since the Kenyon mast has a channel for the wiring it seems a shame not to use it. With all the halyards and action I think that the protection of a channel is worth it. The channel is small and the VHF antenna lead I just was big, so it was a tight fit. Good luck.
other possibilities
Don't know if you have an existing conduit, but if you have any existing wiring there you may be able to use one as a snake to run a chase line.(anchor light?) Either way, be sure to run chase line both ways and leave one in place for future maintenance. Hope this helps, let us know if this is an option and we'll go from there.
Don't know if you have an existing conduit, but if you have any existing wiring there you may be able to use one as a snake to run a chase line.(anchor light?) Either way, be sure to run chase line both ways and leave one in place for future maintenance. Hope this helps, let us know if this is an option and we'll go from there.
Mast up wiring.
You are right Bob, with the mast stepped your only choice is down the middle of the stick. You could use the trick of a couple of large plastic ties every ten feet or so. This would keep the wire away from the sides and prevent any banging or chafing. Getting the wire with those ties into the mast from the top would be tough. There is room to go in between the plate and the sheaves but not much. And installing the transducer up there will be fun. But that big plate is easy to drill and tap. All that said I would still opt for having it horizontal. With the wire in the channel you can secure it so that the weight of fifty feet of wire is not hanging from the top. And it is an opportunity to replace any old wire. It should all be secured as it presently is in that channel. I do realize how much expense and work there is in unstepping/stepping. Retuning is a major hassle.
You are right Bob, with the mast stepped your only choice is down the middle of the stick. You could use the trick of a couple of large plastic ties every ten feet or so. This would keep the wire away from the sides and prevent any banging or chafing. Getting the wire with those ties into the mast from the top would be tough. There is room to go in between the plate and the sheaves but not much. And installing the transducer up there will be fun. But that big plate is easy to drill and tap. All that said I would still opt for having it horizontal. With the wire in the channel you can secure it so that the weight of fifty feet of wire is not hanging from the top. And it is an opportunity to replace any old wire. It should all be secured as it presently is in that channel. I do realize how much expense and work there is in unstepping/stepping. Retuning is a major hassle.
Unstepping the mast is worth it...
I am half way through the process. A yard charged me $100 to pull the mast and put it on our company trailer. Of course, I will have another $100 to step it. I had to have all the pins ready to pull and the turnbuckles lubed. My 1981 wiring needs replacement. I am also replacing my old wind instrument. The wiring chase will definitely be full, but there will not be any concern about chafe. Joel, how much did you invest in your new standing rigging?
I am half way through the process. A yard charged me $100 to pull the mast and put it on our company trailer. Of course, I will have another $100 to step it. I had to have all the pins ready to pull and the turnbuckles lubed. My 1981 wiring needs replacement. I am also replacing my old wind instrument. The wiring chase will definitely be full, but there will not be any concern about chafe. Joel, how much did you invest in your new standing rigging?
Standing rigging cost
I went way overboard. I had just purchased Fat Tuesday and she was all original. That make everythint 20+ years old. I am very much a do it yourselfer. I had a quote from a local yard for $2700 to replace the rigging. I went online and purchased QuickAttach fittings for 9/32" wire. A little oversized. But all the rigging is now the same size. Using the QA was very easy, but expensive. I figure around $1300.00 for the basic rigging supplies. This includes almost $1000.00 for reusable QuickAttach fittings. They are very easy to use. When I started making the connections we only took 3 hours to do all the work. So if you wanted to do the work yourself you can probably save 50% and have a much stronger rig with reusable parts. I was worried about tuning the rig after it was up. I think that it went pretty well. I will have a pro fine tune it later when I finally get it out in some real wind to get the first real stress on it.
I went way overboard. I had just purchased Fat Tuesday and she was all original. That make everythint 20+ years old. I am very much a do it yourselfer. I had a quote from a local yard for $2700 to replace the rigging. I went online and purchased QuickAttach fittings for 9/32" wire. A little oversized. But all the rigging is now the same size. Using the QA was very easy, but expensive. I figure around $1300.00 for the basic rigging supplies. This includes almost $1000.00 for reusable QuickAttach fittings. They are very easy to use. When I started making the connections we only took 3 hours to do all the work. So if you wanted to do the work yourself you can probably save 50% and have a much stronger rig with reusable parts. I was worried about tuning the rig after it was up. I think that it went pretty well. I will have a pro fine tune it later when I finally get it out in some real wind to get the first real stress on it.
Avoid the Clanging
Another vote for taking the effort and using the conduits in the mast as this will avoid the clanging sound when you're anchored. Other electrical considerations would be replacing the VHF antenna wire and preferably with low-loss but this is a larger diameter. Put a strain relief at the top of any suspended wires. Use marine heat shrink tubing on all terminations and liquid electrical tape on any other exposed ends that can't be covered with heat shrink. Use silicone dielectric grease on metal contacts to reduce oxidation and corrosion. Use an antisieze material such as Lanocote (forespar) on metal fasteners to reduce galvanic corrosion. If you ever sail at night a Windex light is a nice addition. Check out the steaming light too. Using mechanical connectors vice sweaging to keep costs down on the rigging is a good idea, plus they are reuseable. This is a good time to check out the halyard sheaves - maybe convert them to roller bearing?
Another vote for taking the effort and using the conduits in the mast as this will avoid the clanging sound when you're anchored. Other electrical considerations would be replacing the VHF antenna wire and preferably with low-loss but this is a larger diameter. Put a strain relief at the top of any suspended wires. Use marine heat shrink tubing on all terminations and liquid electrical tape on any other exposed ends that can't be covered with heat shrink. Use silicone dielectric grease on metal contacts to reduce oxidation and corrosion. Use an antisieze material such as Lanocote (forespar) on metal fasteners to reduce galvanic corrosion. If you ever sail at night a Windex light is a nice addition. Check out the steaming light too. Using mechanical connectors vice sweaging to keep costs down on the rigging is a good idea, plus they are reuseable. This is a good time to check out the halyard sheaves - maybe convert them to roller bearing?
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