Getting ready to rewire the mast (both mast head lite, deck lite, and VHF cable). the cables enter the cable channel thru small holes inside the mast to the channel about 16" above the bottom of the mast. Anyone have experience with this? Do I remove the channel cover (see bottom lefthand corner of picture), or just feed new cables through the existing holes (which will be difficult based on the size of the holes). Other ideas and suggestions? Thanks
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Did this last year
The good news is your stick is down. Go to Sears Hardware or Home Depot and purchase tube of wire slip at under $5.00 and wire snake with length of 100', if you can not borrow one. Start at the bottom. Wire plus tape your new wire to the old wire. Mark the top and end with a numer or name to identity the wire. Need two people. One feeds the wire into the stick, letting the wire run through their hand which is loaded with wire goop. The other person gently pulls the wire from the top until the new wire arrives. Leave yourself a big pigtail at the top to add a drip loop if the wire is outside the mast. If your new wire will not go in the tube, use the wire fish from the top down to pull. Cover the wire outside the tube with the foam used to insulate copper pipes. Trust me- the banging of wire inside your mast is annoying,loud, and can not be stopped. Watch when you get to the spreader as there is an internal block at this location. Take off your steaming light. This is also the time to take a hard look at the steaming and anchor light. Add a deck light, if you do not have one. Add wind-speed and check your windex- spend your money. Now is also the time to add a TV dish and maybe a lazy-jack. This is also the time to lube the sheeve and run another spare haryard. Beats climbing after your boat goes back in the water. Good Luck Ian s/v Meant to Be
The good news is your stick is down. Go to Sears Hardware or Home Depot and purchase tube of wire slip at under $5.00 and wire snake with length of 100', if you can not borrow one. Start at the bottom. Wire plus tape your new wire to the old wire. Mark the top and end with a numer or name to identity the wire. Need two people. One feeds the wire into the stick, letting the wire run through their hand which is loaded with wire goop. The other person gently pulls the wire from the top until the new wire arrives. Leave yourself a big pigtail at the top to add a drip loop if the wire is outside the mast. If your new wire will not go in the tube, use the wire fish from the top down to pull. Cover the wire outside the tube with the foam used to insulate copper pipes. Trust me- the banging of wire inside your mast is annoying,loud, and can not be stopped. Watch when you get to the spreader as there is an internal block at this location. Take off your steaming light. This is also the time to take a hard look at the steaming and anchor light. Add a deck light, if you do not have one. Add wind-speed and check your windex- spend your money. Now is also the time to add a TV dish and maybe a lazy-jack. This is also the time to lube the sheeve and run another spare haryard. Beats climbing after your boat goes back in the water. Good Luck Ian s/v Meant to Be
...but did your wires exit the cable track?
Ian, Thanks for the hints. Doesn't sound as ominous as I thought. In your mast, did the cables exit the cable track on the aft end of the mast about 12 to 16 inches above the bottom of the mast? Or did they exit mast cable track at the bottom of the mast? I cleaned the mast base today - this is a base that is attached to the cabin top and the mast sits on and is about 12" tall. The hole for the power cables/VHF cable is located on the forward end of the base, but the cable track is in the aft end of the mast. Routing the cables to the front of the mast makes them vulnerable to rub-damage from the halyards. I'm thinking re-routing the cables through the mast base and the cabin top to make easier. How did you handle this? Thanks for the feed back!!!! Pete
Ian, Thanks for the hints. Doesn't sound as ominous as I thought. In your mast, did the cables exit the cable track on the aft end of the mast about 12 to 16 inches above the bottom of the mast? Or did they exit mast cable track at the bottom of the mast? I cleaned the mast base today - this is a base that is attached to the cabin top and the mast sits on and is about 12" tall. The hole for the power cables/VHF cable is located on the forward end of the base, but the cable track is in the aft end of the mast. Routing the cables to the front of the mast makes them vulnerable to rub-damage from the halyards. I'm thinking re-routing the cables through the mast base and the cabin top to make easier. How did you handle this? Thanks for the feed back!!!! Pete
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