Mast wiring problem

[newboatowner]

Good morning:
I own a 1980 Catalina 30 that was purchased three years ago. The mast light and anchor light were not working and the previous owner told me that he did not rewire up to the harnass but that the mast was, in fact rewired. This past autumn, after the boat was pulled, I drilled a one inch hole in base of the mast and was able to catch the cable and pulled it out for the purpose of running a new wire from the panel. I have yet to complete that process. My question is this: Would it be better to attempt to drill a hole from underneath the mast plate in the ceiling of the head and seal it with caulking or should I drill a hole near the mast on the deck and run a cable through the top of the cabin (using a through hull fitting)?

 

[Barnacle Bill]

Most likely, if you pulled the mast from the boat, you would see where the wires came up through the mast plate that is bolted into the deck. Before taking on such a task, why don't you just get a multi meter and check to see if there is electricity going to the plug or wire ends at the deck and if there is, you can assume the wiring is fine and needs to attention. Then you need to supply 12 volts to the plug on the mast end of each light and see if there is power to the lights. You can use a length of double cables and small alligator clips to make the connections. If the lights do not work, then check the bulbs first (to see if the bulb is good or if there is corrosion on the contacts, etc.). If the bulb works, then I would first suspect the plugs and then the wiring in the mast. Often plugs just need to be replaced and usually they are pretty inexpensive.

 

[Team118]

To do it right and keep it dry, your best bet would be to pull the mast.

Don't forget there is a metal 'shoe' that the mast sits on, this 'shoe' is bolted to the deck and there is a hole in the middle of it for the wiring to run through.

I didn't take pictures, but last summer I pulled the mast to rewire it. I drilled a 3/4" hole (I believe that is the size of the opening in the shoe) through the deck. I reinstalled the mast plate/shoe and dropped a length of pvc pipe through the hole in the middle. I heavily sealed the pvc pipe with 3M 4200.

I then drilled a hole from the head at an angle up into the compression post (which is just a boxed support of teak).

My thoughts were I would run the wires and antenae through the pvc and they would drop down into the support post. I would then fish them back out into the head and use a terminal to connect the wiring. From here I would have the new wiring run back to the DC panel.

The mast would slip over the pvc pipe, the pipe would be about 6" above the deck, which would keep any water that runs down the interior of the mast out of the interior of the boat and I would have an easy way to disconnect everything should the need arise to drop the mast. No exterior connections or addition deck through hulls.

I got the idea from someone else, I wish I could remember...and I didn't take pictures, but I can next time I check to make sure the wind didn't knock her over!

Of course, there's the real possibility that what I just described HAS NOTHING to do with what you're looking for!!!

Chris

 

[FredB]

If you pull the mast to fix this, you may find leaks around the wiring through the mast step. I did that and when I resealed everything, including using structural epoxy in between the inner and outer shells of the hull around the wiring hole, I fixed leaks all over the boat. Water was getting in between the inner and outer hull liners and showing up in all sorts of places. This, in time, may also save your bilge compression post, another common Catalina problem in older boats. An added benefit to doing it right.

 

[newboatowner]

If you pull the mast to fix this, you may find leaks around the wiring through the mast step. I did that and when I resealed everything, including using structural epoxy in between the inner and outer shells of the hull around the wiring hole, I fixed leaks all over the boat. Water was getting in between the inner and outer hull liners and showing up in all sorts of places. This, in time, may also save your bilge compression post, another common Catalina problem in older boats. An added benefit to doing it right.

Thanks for the reply. I am trying, however, not to remove the mast. I would simply want to drill a hole under the mast plate and pass cable through it and catch it at the base of the mast where there is now an access hole. Am I dreaming of a quick fix or is this a possiblility?