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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

Catalina 25 Specific Forum

Mast Wiring

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GaryB
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4304 Posts

Initially Posted - 11/05/2007 : 20:45:13

Is it possible to re-wire the mast lights without dropping the mast? If it is possible, any suggestions on how to proceed would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

GaryB
'89 SR/WK #5862
Kemah,TX

Association Member

GaryB
Andiamo
'89 SR/WK #5862
Kemah,TX

Edited by - on

dmpilc
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4593 Posts

Response Posted - 11/05/2007 : 21:49:48

Got wings? LOL
Sorry, couldn't resist that one.

Edited by - on

stampeder
Master Marine Consultant

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1608 Posts

Response Posted - 11/06/2007 : 00:22:17

A ladder or bosun's chair to get you up there. Use the existing wiring as a messenger and pull a new set of wires up to the fixture.

Edited by - on

redeye
Master Marine Consultant

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3476 Posts

Response Posted - 11/06/2007 : 08:42:38

Any suggestions on how to prevent the wiring from clanging inside the mast?

regards.ray

Ray Swords

Edited by - on

danandlu
Navigator

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USA
175 Posts

Response Posted - 11/06/2007 : 08:52:50

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Any suggestions on how to prevent the wiring from clanging inside the mast?
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

I haven't tried this, only read about it. Use cable ties to bundle the wires but don't cut the tail off.

Edited by - on

Frank Hopper
Past Commodore

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Pitcairn Island
6776 Posts

Response Posted - 11/06/2007 : 09:20:04

My mast has plastic conduit pop riveted to the inside, and a pull line!

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ClamBeach
Master Marine Consultant

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3072 Posts

Response Posted - 11/06/2007 : 19:45:28

Dunno your circumstances or slip configuration, but (typically) if you're not fully dismounting the mast and have a couple healthy bodies handy you can have the mast laid down before you'd be able to climb it.

YMMV.

Edited by - on

GaryB
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4304 Posts

Response Posted - 11/06/2007 : 19:58:00

My slip neighbor went up in a bosuns chair to the steaming light and found that the bulbs were good but there was no power. We've got power at the deck but not above. The wiring appears to be original.

My slip only has a finger pier on one side so that makes things a bit more complicated. Maybe if I back the boat in on a calm morning he and I could get the mast down enough to replace the wiring.

Frank - I assume the conduit you mentioned is something you added?

Thanks for everyone's input.

Gary
'89 SR/WK #5862
Kemah, TX

Edited by - on

Leon Sisson
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1893 Posts

Response Posted - 11/08/2007 : 23:51:21

I'd sooner unstep a C-25 mast than climb one -- they're trailer boats. I added thinwall PVC conduit in a rear corner of the mast extrusion, with a gap for the spreader hardware. The installation procedure described in "This Old Boat" worked great. I also added another short section of larger PVC tubing right at the spreaders (in front of the hardware) to guide the internal halyards past all the spreader stuff, including the exposed wiring for the steaming/foredeck light fixture.

-- Leon S.

Edited by - on

sweetcraft
Admiral

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USA
816 Posts

Response Posted - 11/09/2007 : 01:11:37

My brother-in-law, the electronic person, installed my wiring by making up the system along side the mast when it was level on the boat for travel. He solder all the connections and ends which included the VHF cable, anchor light, steaming and spreader lights. When the wires were pulled from inside the mast, heavy cord was pulled in to re-pull the made up system. The bolt with a spacer for the spreaders had to be pulled as the factory used the bolt spacer to hold the weight of the wires. He reattached the spacer to again hold the weight of the wire to the new system and tied a small piece of closed cell foam every 2 feet with a plastic tie and electrical tape. This foam prevented wire slap when at anchor. It took both of us to pull the wire system back into the mast and again line up the spacer for the bolt of the spreaders. He also made up the wiring for the trailer, soldering and taping and using plastic ties. I am very lucky to have had him do this as this was 1979 and the mast lights and trailer system continue to work.

Edited by - on

Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 11/09/2007 : 07:10:03

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by sweetcraft

...this was 1979 and the mast lights and trailer system continue to work.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">...when the boat was brand new??

Edited by - on

pegasus
1st Mate

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USA
65 Posts

Response Posted - 11/09/2007 : 07:14:01

While we're on the topic, anyone have a recommendation on the electrical deck plug and the anchoring/steaming light on the mast?

Edited by - on

dlucier
Master Marine Consultant

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Virgin Islands (United Kingdom)
7583 Posts

Response Posted - 11/09/2007 : 08:09:23

Chuck,

When I replaced my deck connector, I used a four pin connector from West Marine.

To ward off future corrosion problems and to protect the connector and wiring from the weather, I ran the last foot or so of the wiring through a piece of automotive fuel line, which protects and provides strain relief to the wiring as well as serving as a grommet going into the mast. Additionally, I used a dishwasher/disposer drain adapter as a boot for the connector to further shield the connector from the elements.

Edited by - on

Sloop Smitten
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1181 Posts

Response Posted - 11/09/2007 : 10:03:51

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">anyone have a recommendation on the electrical deck plug<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

It's bad enough having an electrical plug sitting out in the elements but these plugs also face skyward making them more acceptible to collecting moisture. I got tired of the maintaining them and fighting the elements and switched the plugs to cable thru hull fittings and attached simple bayonet style connectors on the cable ends which feed into the head area where the connections are made. That way they are entirely out of the elements and I can simply disconnect them and pull them back through the deck if I need to drop the mast.

Edited by - on

newell
Navigator

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USA
113 Posts

Response Posted - 11/09/2007 : 12:55:00

Regarding wiring making noise inside the mast, by personal experience I can tell you that the suggestion made of using wire ties is effective. The trick is that you need to use three wire ties per position. That effectively holds the wiring in the middle of the mast cavity. They do not interfere with the pulling process.

newell

Edited by - on

sweetcraft
Admiral

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USA
816 Posts

Response Posted - 11/09/2007 : 23:54:03

My 79 was brand new delivered to my home and the new gear was installed which included the crystal VHF and all the mast wiring pulled out and reinstalled with all the new cables and the foam and plastic ties. The trailer was up graded with soldering and quick connects for the brake lights for removal during launch which I never removed. He used silicone grease on the bulbs and connects.

The deck fitting was always a problem as the forward deck crew would always kick it loose during a spinnaker jibe. I had to silicone glue it after each regatta as the screws no longer worked and then all I had to do was re-glue it. The fitting still sits on a mound of silicone and haven't raced for a while as my crew is older or missing from the roll.

I wouldn't recommend rewiring without laying it down and doing some planning and preparing the materials. I know that there is a possibility if the spreader bolt is used to support the wiring it could be difficult to remove with out cutting it and replacing it and the sleeve. Rain tonight so in around the fire.

Edited by - on

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