Wires Up My Mast

[Squidd]

Got the mast rewired today...


Wires were running up the backstay for VHF and Mast light when I got the boat...Everything worked, but I wanted to add a"Steaming/Deck light" mid mast and didn't want exposed wires showing..


I tried fishing a wire down the mast (there were existing holes mid, top and bottom of mast) but ran into "Something"..


I pulled the masthead and the baseplate and looked in with a flashlight and saw blocks of "foam" like cushion foam...


I taped a long screw to the end of some fiberglass chimney cleaning rods and poked and twisted and pulled block after block out...bout 16' of rod I worked from each end ...coming out the top was easy but the ones near the halyard cleat hardware were getting stuck and breaking up...I did finally get them all out..


I tied the VHF cable to a 4 wire cable (for mast and steaming lights) and a Cat 5 cable (for wind instruments) with "Zip ties" 3 each every 2'...I left the zip tie tails sticking out 120* apart to help stabilize the cables in the mast and reduce "clanging"... (rather than put foam blocks back)


Re install mast head and base plate and tucked the excess wire back up the base hole and ready to step mast when I get to the marina this spring...although I do need to install and connect steaming light and hook up mast light and wind sending units...

 

[GorillaToast]

Same story here, only mine was blocked with birds' nests. I fashioned a hook from some old rigging wire and attached it to a telescoping golf ball retriever. Once I got the majority cleared, I taped over any holes and stuck a shop vac hose up the mast to suck it clean.

I used an inexpensive electrician's fish tape to pull the wire, doing the wire tie thing just like you did. I hope it works to stop the clanging. Biggest problem I had was getting the insert of the 4-pin plug to go all the way in so the tiny set screw would seat. It took a couple of hours, a lot of cuss words, and re-stripping the wires to get it done.

 

[higgs]

I did the wire tie thing a number of years ago and it worked great. I think you nailed it.

 

[packman]

cornduit

I'm getting my new mast ready and plan to slit some 1" cpvc electrical conduit and push the sections up the mast with the slit opened up and the conduit clamping around the slug portion of the mast extrusion. The electrical conduit is expanded on one end to slip over the end of the previouse piece. With careful layout I should be able to prewire the whole thing and install it without having much to fish.