Mast Light

[CHUCK MORGAN]

I HAVE A 1973 ERICSON, 27 ft. SAILBOAT, AND I AM TRYING TO REPLACE THE MAST LIGHT AND WIRING TO THAT LIGHT. THE WIRING, APPARENTLY, HAS FALLEN TO THE INSIDE OF THE MAST. PLEASE GIVE ME ANY SUGGESTIONS ON HOW I CAN DO THIS. THANKS, CHUCK MORGAN

 

[Jim Baldwin]

I did it

From the bosun chair, remove the old light and snake a new set of wires down into the hole. Hopefully they will be able to descend to the base of the mast. (If not, there may be an obstruction, like a wad of foam rubber.) After you have used up your normal expletives and nearly fallen out of the chair, your luck will have run out and you will have to drop the mast and fish-out the obstruction. (Sorry)

However, if luck is with you, your wires will be inside at the base of the mast. Now, from inside the head, remove that piece of wood corner trim that covers the old wire. (Now for the trick) You must have a magic little tool. A retrieving wond from the auto parts store. This is a flexible, hollow cable, about two feet long, with a spring-loaded, three-prong set of fingers inside. When you depress the red button on the end, the spring-steel fingers deploy to grabb stuff. (You know). Well, stick it up through the hole in the ceiling and go fish. You should be able to grab your new wires and pull them down.

Suggestion: You might try using a heavier gauge, solid wire just to make the thread. Choose something that wants to stay straight without curling up and maybe even find its' way through the old foam wadding. Then you tape your new supply wires to that and pull it through.

One last thought... If you really don't like the idea of going up the mast in a little chair and swinging around, then don't do it. You might fall and hurt your boat.

 

[Sean Engle]

And...

You might also try using chain (something small in guage but heavy) to drop it through (gravity doing the work for you). I was going to go up in my harness and change my fixture also - but for some strange reason, I just changed my mind....

//sse

 

[Bob in Va]

Threading the needle

I've found that when fishing a line from above, sometimes a lighter line with a heavy weight fixed to the bottom works better. Something like a strong fishing line with a lead sinker attached will often find its way through lines, wires, etc. more easily than a wire or even light "fishing" chain. You can bob it up and down easier if it meets an obstruction.

 

[Bob in Va]

Perhaps easier

would be run the wire up from the bottom and tape/sew it to an internal halyard, and run it up inside the mast until you can access it through the light hole in the mast. Then just reach in with a hook and retrieve it from there.

 

[u079721]

I once read that a great trick to help route a wire or halyard down a mast was to attach a leader to a length of bicycle chain. The chain is fairly heavy, and very pliable, so that you can get it through holes just large enough for wires.

The good thing about a chain is that you can use one of those magnet probes to retrieve the chain at the base of the mast. Much easier than trying to use a coat hanger.