Mastlight connector

[Joel]

I was out on my 1987 H23 again yesterday and once again, the two prong masthead light connector on the deck was disconnected. Since I keep the boat at a mooring (and do not have to deal with stepping the mast each day), has anyone come up with a good way to keep the connector connected?I had tried the rigging tape but there's not much on the deck for the tape to hold. It popped off after a few weeks.Has anyone successfully tried a little bit of silicone sealant to hold it in place? In principal, it should work and also allow me to "break the seal" at the end of the season when the mast does come down. I was just a little concerned about getting silicone down in the socket making it a non-conductor.Thoughts?

 

[Chip Tobey]

Similar problem

Joel, I have had a running battle with that connector for weeks now. The first replacement I purchased simply plugged in and, like yours, the plug would get kicked out of the socket regularly. Eventually it was stepped on and broken. However, this past weekend I installed a chromed, two-prong connector on which, once plugged in, the cap screws onto the base. West carries these.Part of the problem is that that area of the deck (on my h23 at least) is such a high traffic area, any fixture is going to get kicked. So I bedded it in silicone and used the longest #4 screws I could locate.That said, I imagine your silcone idea would work too. Hope this helps.

 

[a. glasson]

Un-Pluged

I unplug my TV, radio, marine radio and lights at the foot of the mast every time I go home. My thought is: this may eliminate damage from a possible lihgting strike.Good luck

 

[BART FORD]

Hunter spare parts

I have a 240 with a similar problem The mating half had a cap that screwed it down. The part is made by a company called Sea-Dog but nobody stocks their parts except Hunter. It is available from their parts store.