Notice:
The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.
I added a deck light to the mast and now I need to add another wire. I have four wires coming from the mast and three coming through the deck. The wires that are already there run inside between the ceiling of the head and the deck. Is there any practical way to replace these wires?
Steve Digby 1983 Catalina 25 Standard Rig Fin Keel
Because those wires are usually partially embedded in fiberglass, most people have found it impossible to pull them out or pull new ones in.
You can find threads here discussing this. One option is to run new wires just forward of the port bulkhead and add a new deck connector. Below is how I did it. I used the old deck connector location for VHF cable.
[p] [p] [p][p] Here's my job with images from both sides of the bulkhead and a shot of the deck fittings.
Tim Keating 1985 C-25 TR/FK #4940 Midsummer Lake Don Pedro, CA
To run the wire forward of the port side of the bulkhead, I did it by drilling a hole inside the deck connector area sharply angled forward using a long shank drill bit. At first inspection, I thought I had not angled it forward enough but upon closer inspection in forward of the bulkhead in the porta potti area, I saw that at the cabin top liner, the rubber molding is where the hole came thru. I then ran the wire along the liner, then down behind the porta potti, then thru a drilled hole that allowed the wire to pass thru into the main cabin behind and under the port side seat. Then it cab run to your existing switch panel. My website details the new switch panel I installed under/in front of the sink. That was to facilitate turning on the nav lights and mast lights while in the cockpit versus entering the main cabin to get to the existing switch panel under the steps.
Nice, neat job Tim! I had a similar situation when refitting the mast on my C-25. Existing through deck fitting was unusable, so I opted to install a commercially-available "puck" type waterproof through-hull that sealed the wire harness from the mast into the cabin. I just installed CG approved wire connectors to a junction bar on the bulkhead to allow easy disconnect for future mast removal.
To run the wire forward of the port side of the bulkhead, I did it by drilling a hole inside the deck connector area sharply angled forward using a long shank drill bit. At first inspection, I thought I had not angled it forward enough but upon closer inspection in forward of the bulkhead in the porta potti area, I saw that at the cabin top liner, the rubber molding is where the hole came thru. I then ran the wire along the liner, then down behind the porta potti, then thru a drilled hole that allowed the wire to pass thru into the main cabin behind and under the port side seat. Then it cab run to your existing switch panel. My website details the new switch panel I installed under/in front of the sink. That was to facilitate turning on the nav lights and mast lights while in the cockpit versus entering the main cabin to get to the existing switch panel under the steps.
Larry,
Do you have pictures of this? I see a lot of great pics on your website of R/Nest, but not of this. Am I just missing it? Thanks for sharing your hard work - it all looks great.
1980 Catalina 25 TR/SK #2098 ????? Former owner of 1982 Catalina 25 TR/SK #3081 Suzy-Q
Notice: The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ. The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.