Too much mast noise

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Bruce

I spent a very sleepness night last night listening to the cables rattle as they flapped in the mast. Has anyone come up with a clever solution? I seem to remember reading a post here about filling the mast with packing peanuts. Seems like it would be a problem if you ever had to get them back out to fish a new halyard etc. I was thinking that maybe I could fish the cables though a rubber pipe insulating tube like that used on air conditioner piping. Any thoughts, excluding ear plugs!
 
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Ron Mehringer

clank clank

A while back Bob Gravenstein posted a well engineered solution utilitzing sections of PVC pipe. Check the archives. Your foam rubber tubing idea sounds good too. I know silencing those halyards and coax will be a winter project for me. Ron M s/v Hydro-Therapy
 
Jul 1, 1998
3,062
Hunter Legend 35 Poulsbo/Semiahmoo WA
Conduits

Most aluminum extruded masts made in the past decade or so have a provision for a conduit or two. One conduit should go to the steaming light partway up the mast and the other to the masthead. With proper commissioning the conductors are run inside the conduits and there is no pinging problem. If the boat didn't come with lights maybe the manufacturer kept costs down and avoided the type of mast that has conduits; that's a possibility. The next time the mast is down look inside and see if there are a couple conduits, or if not, a couple grouves on each side of the mast where the conduits might fit. The possible problem with filling the mast with anything is it would add some friction to the lines.
 
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Jim Kolstoe

Curing halyard noise

On my h23, I quiet the jib halyard by hooking it to the pulpit and tensioning it. The main is hooked to the spinnikar pole eye, tensioned, and then I use a bungy to bowstring the halyard to a side stay and away from the mast. I have never noticed any noise from the vhf coax cable, so this is sufficient to quiet my mast. Jim Kolstoe, h23 Kara's Boo
 
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Mike Pajewski

No Conduit in the H26 Mast

Just installed a VHF antenna on my H26. I was hoping to find some conduit, but there was none to be found. I used cable ties in a cross pattern every 4-6 feet to stop the noise. Mike Pajewski H26 "Loon"
 
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Joe Baker

Foam pipe insulation

As I have reported before, the half inch foam water pipe insulation works great but must be installed from the top and the bottom because of blockage at the spreaders.
 
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Pat Corbisiero

Conduit in my 94 h26

I have conduit in the mast of my 94 h26. I ran my coax for the VHF radio
 
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Bruce

Thanks

Thanks for the notes about conduit, John, Mike and Pat. I was figuring we probably have the inexpensive type mast with no conduit until Pat said his 94 has it. Mine is a 95, here's hoping. Also thanks to Joe for the note on foam piping blockage at the spreaders. Knowing that will surely reduce my stress level if I have to go that way. Peaceful sleeping to all.
 
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Michael Bell

Another solution

The halyards are coming out of the mast of my H26 next time it’s down.
 
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Dean Taylor

Used the foam pipe insulation

I have just finished encasing my antenna cable and masthead, light cable in the black, foam, pipe insulation. I put in 16 feet feeding from the mast lowering (pole) hole in the mast. It went in easily enough but did nothing to quiet the noise. I am confident that the main and jib sheets are not the problem as the noise remains whether slack or singing tight. No change at all. Does anyone know if there is something else in there that is banging around??? I'm stumped! Don't really like the idea of filling the mast with anything either.
 
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Joe Baker

The Shadow

There is a relatively new saying in our area!! If the shadow does not know, you better ask Joe. I installed the foam insulation for 1/2 inch copper pipe around the mast wiring and the clanging was silenced. This must be installed from the top and from the bottom because of the blockage at the spreaders. There is much more than 16 feet(mast length). The end caps on the mast must be removed! I cannot imagine doing it through the mast raising pole hole. For utter mast silence, I connect the jib halyard to the bow eye for the lifeline and the main halyard to the lifeline behind the rear stanchion. Then I tention them both. NNNNoooooo, read my lips N O mast noise on a 1995 H 26. Sorry about any noticable attitude, but it is early, I have not had coffee yet, and I have given these proven suggestions several times!!!! Oh yes, it has been raining here for days!!
 
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