Wind tranducer installation

[Blitz]

If anyone installed a masthead wind tranducer with the mast up I'd like to hear any advice you might have. I recently purchased a Raymarine unit ST60+ and have a mid eighties Kenyon mast.

Some advise would be needed on fishing wires through or around sheaves.

Thanks

 

[Scott T-Bird]

What, no conduit?

Personally, I wouldn't run cables or wires in the mast without the protection of a conduit. Maybe you intend this to be just temporary until you take the mast down. I would make a plan to do all the conceivable improvements to your mast and take it down for the winter to get everything right. If you are planning on installing a new wind instrument, why not take the mast down, install a new conduit, re-do all the wiring and lights, and maybe even paint the mast & boom. It's worth it to inspect all the attachments on the mast and make sure all the sheaves are turning freely. Replace or repair anything that isn't up to par. That way, you are good for a long time without the hassle and worry that comes from doing a half-assed job.

 

[Don12364]

Ask Kenyons

There will be one, possibly two, cable ducts inside your mast. One for M/H instruments, light and VHF radio antenna and the second, if fitted, for the steaming light.
The duct was confirmed in a response to your question on a similar topic in June 2008.
The problem is how to locate the duct ends at the masthead and heel.

I Googled Kenyon masts and some of their sections have ducts as part of the aluminium extrusion. Other makers often have small "T" shaped projections inside the mast and use a rigid PVC tube slit along its length and slid over the T.
As Scott T suggests above it would be bad news not to have the cable protected.

Why not ask Kenyon where the ducts are and the best way of accessing them?

From dimensions you could then locate any existing wiring and use that hole or possibly even drill another, being careful to go above any other holes at the masthead.
The new cable is often best threaded with the mast up using either an electricians fish tape or a 6" length of bicycle chain on a long thin, (but strong?) mouse line. If there is a M/H light it may be necessary to pull its cable out, pulling a mouse in at the same time.
Mast down only a fish tape will do it other than removing mast cap and heel fittings - which can be a bear on an old spar.
Either way its going to be a fiddly job.

For info - It is written that, to thread the main halyard into the first steel "J" class mast built by Camper & Nicholsons, they tied the mouse line to the tail of the shipyard cat, put him into the open end and all the shipwrights stood in a line along the mast and hammered on the outside in cascade to urge him forwards! It worked.

 

[Blitz]

Donalex - I like the cat idea!

I thought with the mast up, gravity might help.

I was also trying to get a perspective if one normally goes through the mast cap or through the side of the mast. Looks like most boats go through the mast cap that I can see, and was unsure on beable to fish it around the mast sheaves.

 

[Bob Poff]

We had a similar discussion on one of the Hunter forums.
http://forums.hunter.sailboatowners.com/showthread.php?t=122204
(with a photo looking inside the mast from the bottom)

If your Kenyon is like my 1983, there's a conduit behind the sail track.
On mine, the bottom exit from that conduit made the cable take a sharp bend.
Try as we might, we couldn't pull it either way through the sheave box.
Ended up downrigging to run the cable.

As Scott says, it's a good time to inspect the standing rigging.

 

[Blitz]

I have found my spar for your referenc: http://www.rigrite.com/Spars/Kenyon_Spars/4873-cruising.html

Based on this the wires run behind my Cruising Luff Section (Kenyon K-73540): http://www.rigrite.com/Spars/Kenyon_Spars/KENYON.html#Cruising%20Section%20Luff%20Tracks

I'm just curious what happens when this luff section gets to the top under the sheaves.

 

[SamLust]

Being as Seidelman worked so closely with John Cherubini in that era I have to figure the mast on your 34 is probably just like the one on my Hunter 33. Mine has a light weight PVC pipe riveted to the inside front of the mast. There is a break or broken out portion mid way up for the deck/steaming light. The conduit ends about 4 inches shy of the top of the mast. There is plenty of room inside it to run your transducer wire. The mast top plate does come off providing access to the top of the conduit. Good luck with the screws up there (two as I recall). If you insist on running the new wire through the center of the deck to get to the interior you will have to drop the mast. If you make an access hole at the mast base you can fish the wire through and pass it through the deck. All of my mast wiring comes out of the mast at deck level and goes through an opening in the deck. If you have a helper and are willing to work aloft for a decent amount of time it can be done. My initial installation was done mast down, but when I changed brands it was done with the mast up from the top. I can provide more info if you need it.

 

[Scott T-Bird]

It appears that you may have an integral conduit. I have a Kenyon MORC 4060 mast. I replaced the plastic conduit which was disintegrating within the mast and almost all the fasteners had pulled thru the plastic conduit. I replaced with a thicker walled plastic conduit so I am hoping to get at least 20 years of life from the new conduit. I used aluminum pop rivets to fasten the conduit to the leading edge of the mast where the conduit was originally fastened so I didn't have to drill any additional holes. It may be a problem when I finally install a track for a spinnaker pole.

I'd be surpised if your mast cap doesn't already have a hole for the instrument cable. Mine did so I didn't even have to think about it. My VHF antenna is mounted on a side bracket (at the top), though, and the cable goes through a hole in the mast just below the bracket.

I agree that the top cap removes pretty easily ... once the SS screws come out. They were the biggest problem. Anything that was fastened with SS screw was pretty much a headache. I had to drill out 2 screws and it wasn't easy at all, even while being able to work on them in my basement. However, I recall that removing the screws at the top of the mast were not a problem for some reason.

 

[Blitz]

Sam/Scott

Thanks for the help with clarifying the cap. My mast is keel stepped so don't think I'll have the problem at the deck. The conduit may be an issue which I'll need to check. I'll have to relook at my mast cap(trying to locate old pics) to clarify if hole exists. Assume that wire would pass beteeen forward and aft sheaves or along sides-I didn't think there's enough room.