Pulling the Mast on a 1980 H. 30

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Dennis Oelrich

I will be pulling the mast on my '80 H. 30. The mast step needs to be raised about 3/4 inch or so and I'll do that with some shims. Can someone give me a clue in advance about how wires are strung in the mast? In a tube? My intention is to add wind speed, Antenna and spredder lights. How can I do this with the least amount of learning by error?
 
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Thom Hoffman

NAP

Not a problem. On my '81 version, most of the wires are brought from the masthead into a groove behind (forward of) the mainsail track, the exception may be the steaming light. The mast needs to be down to slide the track out after removing hardware at the gooseneck. You may find enough space in here to run your new wires, but it'll be tight. If not, I'd find a way to shield the wires inside the mast (foam pipe insulators, PVC, etc.?) to minimize the noice and protect against chafe. I'll be interested to hear/read how you manage the routing of the spreader lights wires. Good luck with the project.
 
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John Drost Jr.

MAST STEP SHIM?

ARE YOU SHIMMING THE MAST STEP TO GET MORE ADJUSTMENT FROM THE RIGGING? I HAVE AN H-20 THAT HAS LOOSE RIGGING AND HAD THOUGHT OF DOING THAT SAME THING. THANKS, JOHN TL2282@EMCS.COM
 
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G Menchini

Did it

I step and unstep the mast on my 1980 Hunter 30 Tall Rig almost every year. About ten years ago, I installed spreader lights. On my boat there is one wire containing 4 leads for the steaming light and the anchor light. There is a connector plug which you disconnect, once the mast is lifted 4-6 inches above the mast step. There should be a quick connect, which can also be detached once the mast is unstepped. To install your wires for the new equipment in the mast, you need to slide out the mainsail sail track. It pulls out from the bottom of the mast. Behind that is a channel in which you can run some wires. It is not a very big channel, so try to bundle everything neatly or you will never be able to slide the sail track back in. Wrapping all wires in a bundle with tape is a good idea to eliminate chafe, vibration, or clanging. I would put a quick connect on any new wires that you put in so that you can unstep the mast in the future and reattach without having to crimp while the mast is hanging in the air. I use black tape to ensure that the connectors will not open and a little vaseline on the terminals to fight corrosion optimize conductivity. There is very little room for the wires to be packed back in between the bottom of the mast and the mast step, so wires have to be kept relatively short, and connectors should be as small as possible, packed into the mast step neatly when you re-step the mast. The mast is hanging in the air when you go to reconnect everything, so have everything ready, try to match the lengths of the wire coming out of the step and on the other side coming out of the mast, to the length of the existing wire, longer will have you scrambling to cut them down and reattach connectors, with the mast dangling from a crane. WATCH YOUR FINGERS when you restep the mast. Of course, while the mast is unstepped, its a good opportunity to change the steaming and anchor light bulbs. I also installed a Windex wind indicator as a backup to my electonics. Hope this is of some help.
 
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