Wiring for masthead light

[Janet]

Does anyone know where the wiring for the masthead light goes from the 3-prong connector at the base of the mast (where one of our wires has snapped off inaccessibly, beneath the deck) to the switch? Obviously, we need to replace it, but how??

 

[ejtewsjr]

Mast light wiring

It is run between the cabin top and the liner. I am going to rewire the boat this winter and will run new wire along the port side at the edge of the liner.

 

[Adam]

You can fish...

...it through. If you use the old wire/covering as a lead and attach the new wire to it (end to end) well, you can probably fish it all the way like that. But, if I'm involved things will go wrong, so it'll get a little dicier. The wires from the mast (anchor light, steaming light and antenna cable) go between the cabin top and inside liner, about where the bulkhead is, then aft along the port edge of the liner. If you peel back some of the fabric hull liner, you can reach your hand up into the edge of the head-liner in the cabin and feel the wires. There is a recess where the wire bundle rests. There is likely enough slack in the wiring harness at the panel end that you can pull the wiring bundle up a small bit to make room/clip the cable-ties/fit a new wire.

 

[Janet]

Thanks

Looks like it'll be tricky but will give it a go.

 

[Jim]

Try This

You can find the wire at Home DepotI just re-did mine, using a wire fish (also at home depot and a good general tool to have.One thing that I did was re-wire it so as to eliminate slapping noise. There are several methods available inthe archives - look under "noisy Mast". I did mine by securing two large plastic wire ties at about 1.5 foot intervals - worked great.Good luckJim

 

[Gerry17147]

Another method..

Most mast head wires are fed through a cable tube in the mast itself, at least mine is. If you find that for some reason you can't pull the new cable in using the old cable as your pull line. Remove the old cable completely. Using a string, make a knot or wad of string at one end of a string long enough to go the whole length of the mast. The knot should be just smaller than the tube so it can pass through. Then at the other end use a vacume cleaner and suck the string through the mast. Have done it for others masts and do it all the time at work using whats called a "mouse" ie: the knot. Fair WindsGerry