Mast Wiring

[Mike Parker]

I am adding a coax cable and 4 strands of wire to the top of my mast and was looking at what others have done in the archives.I checked the posts and weighed the evidence. The verdict?!?I am forgoing the conduit and will use zip ties spaced every 2 feet or so zipped in an X. I got a bag of 500 zips for $4 at Loews and it weighs 1/2lb. I could do one every inch if I thought it would help. My main concern was the weight of the 3/4 in PCV pipe and a dozen more holes in my poor old mast.

 

[Jim Winjum]

Aldo's idea

Sounds like an effective plan. When I was considering this, I remember Aldo of Middle River having a method where he also stabilized and quieted the wire from slapping around inside the mast. I was wondering if you found his method since it sounds like you are basically doing what he did.Best wishes in your sailing.

 

[Aldo]

Thanks, Jim

Jim: Thanks for your vote of confidence. Mike: I agree with you, unless you are planning on internal halyards, I wouldn't add a conduit, an certainly wouldn't drill and pop rivet holes into my mast. I think that your idea with the wire ties is great, and so simple. (That's a sign of greatness). I think that, if your wire ties are long enough, and you put them close enough together, you should never have to listen to the wires clanging inside the mast at night. You could do some type of shake test when you feed the harness into the mast. You could run into the spacer at the spreaders, but with your method, you should be able to just pull your cable through, an the tails of the ties will just spring back out. Aldo