Anyone out there familiar with the mastlight wiring traveling through the mast? My 88 23 ft. wingkeel has three wires in the mast. A brown, blue, and green with yellow stripe. Why three wires? Which one carries the current and which is neutral? I would like to get that right before I lower the mast to check the bulb. Thank you Matthew
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Ground, Steaming, and Anchor....
I just replaced the plug on my mastlight wiring... one of the wires is ground (maybe green w/ yellow stripe), the other is for the steaming light (used when you are under power-- should be visible from the front of the boat only), and the last one is for your anchor light-- which is visible 360 degrees around the boat.... From what i was told at the dealer is it depends on who rigged the boat and which wires they used for what. Soooo... what you can do is connect the ground, then connect one of the other wires at a time and see which light comes on... you may have to do it just after it gets dark so you can see the light.... Good luck Greg.. s/v Passin Wind
I just replaced the plug on my mastlight wiring... one of the wires is ground (maybe green w/ yellow stripe), the other is for the steaming light (used when you are under power-- should be visible from the front of the boat only), and the last one is for your anchor light-- which is visible 360 degrees around the boat.... From what i was told at the dealer is it depends on who rigged the boat and which wires they used for what. Soooo... what you can do is connect the ground, then connect one of the other wires at a time and see which light comes on... you may have to do it just after it gets dark so you can see the light.... Good luck Greg.. s/v Passin Wind
Don't assume anything
I totally agree with Gregs post on what it "should" be like, but many things may be different. It may have never been wired to a standard to begin with or it may have been rewired at some point. On my 88 h23 I have two lights at the mast head, but both come on with one wire. In other words I have only a hot and ground connected in my system. My deck connector only has two prongs and my fuse/switch panel has only an anchor switch. Without major refit. I can't switch to a steaming light. To check mine, I used a small 12volt battery on the deck with some clip wires so I could hook directly to the wires going into the mast. It was a quick way to check which wires were used and to determine if the masthead bulbs were good. On mine, I found my deck connector was bad and I got a new one from West Marine. Good Luck Ward
I totally agree with Gregs post on what it "should" be like, but many things may be different. It may have never been wired to a standard to begin with or it may have been rewired at some point. On my 88 h23 I have two lights at the mast head, but both come on with one wire. In other words I have only a hot and ground connected in my system. My deck connector only has two prongs and my fuse/switch panel has only an anchor switch. Without major refit. I can't switch to a steaming light. To check mine, I used a small 12volt battery on the deck with some clip wires so I could hook directly to the wires going into the mast. It was a quick way to check which wires were used and to determine if the masthead bulbs were good. On mine, I found my deck connector was bad and I got a new one from West Marine. Good Luck Ward
Or get a multimeter so you can read the voltage
on the wires as you flip the switch. If you are not getting any voltage you may have a short.
on the wires as you flip the switch. If you are not getting any voltage you may have a short.
You have a steaming light?
Things seem to change from boat to boat even in the same model year. My 88 H23 has two wires going up the mast, no steaming light (and nowhere on the switch panel to wire one in) and the crappy connector on the deck. When I drop the mast later this month, I will check the masthead light. If it's a two-bulb setup I'm going to retrofit either a single-bulb unit or one of those new-fangled LED units. Two bulbs draw way too much power to be left on all night. I'll also use the opportunity to add a steaming light to the front of the mast just above the spreaders. Yes, I'm adding a second power panel and possibly a second battery. It never ends. To Greg in Orlando: do you keep your boat on the trailer or in the water? At the moment, mine is at the marina in Sanford, pretending to be a kelp bed. Peter H23 "Raven"
Things seem to change from boat to boat even in the same model year. My 88 H23 has two wires going up the mast, no steaming light (and nowhere on the switch panel to wire one in) and the crappy connector on the deck. When I drop the mast later this month, I will check the masthead light. If it's a two-bulb setup I'm going to retrofit either a single-bulb unit or one of those new-fangled LED units. Two bulbs draw way too much power to be left on all night. I'll also use the opportunity to add a steaming light to the front of the mast just above the spreaders. Yes, I'm adding a second power panel and possibly a second battery. It never ends. To Greg in Orlando: do you keep your boat on the trailer or in the water? At the moment, mine is at the marina in Sanford, pretending to be a kelp bed. Peter H23 "Raven"
To Pete
Right now its in hidden harbour just past the I-4 bridge... i'm planning on moving it down to where your at.. it would be alot faster getting out in the lake to sail, plus i dont have to do circles for an hour waiting on the trains to pass so they can open the bridge... know what i mean?
By the way, my hunter is a 94 - 23.5 so maybe they added a steaming light.. my mast has 3 wires running up it... By the way what are the slip fees where your at?
Right now its in hidden harbour just past the I-4 bridge... i'm planning on moving it down to where your at.. it would be alot faster getting out in the lake to sail, plus i dont have to do circles for an hour waiting on the trains to pass so they can open the bridge... know what i mean?
By the way, my hunter is a 94 - 23.5 so maybe they added a steaming light.. my mast has 3 wires running up it... By the way what are the slip fees where your at?Response to Greg
I used to be at Hidden Harbour too. I liked it a lot because it was real quiet (except when the band at Otters fired up on Sundays) and the staff at the marina and boatyard were friendly, helpful and ALWAYS courteous. However, waiting for the railroad bridge to open got old (especially at night) so I moved about seven months ago. Monroe Harbour is a little less expensive than HHM, it is right on Lake Monroe and there are no trees to drop leaves all over your boat. However, there are blind mosquitos in the spring and a bunch of birds in the winter. Oh yeah, the docks are nicer too (each slip has a dock box). My boat is on the closest dock to the street, you can see it as you drive by. Peter H23 "Raven"
I used to be at Hidden Harbour too. I liked it a lot because it was real quiet (except when the band at Otters fired up on Sundays) and the staff at the marina and boatyard were friendly, helpful and ALWAYS courteous. However, waiting for the railroad bridge to open got old (especially at night) so I moved about seven months ago. Monroe Harbour is a little less expensive than HHM, it is right on Lake Monroe and there are no trees to drop leaves all over your boat. However, there are blind mosquitos in the spring and a bunch of birds in the winter. Oh yeah, the docks are nicer too (each slip has a dock box). My boat is on the closest dock to the street, you can see it as you drive by. Peter H23 "Raven"
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