Mast Wires for internal halyards?

[exoduse35]

I am converting my E35-2 to internal halyards. I am now at the wire phase of the project. It seems that there is no easy way! My plan is to use 4 10' PVC thin wall water pipes to run the 42' span. I figure I can in several spots drill a 1/2 inch hole in the pipe and a hole through the other side to fit a #8ish machine screw. Then install said screw in hole and secure with a nut. Drill corresponding holes in the forward starboard corner of the mast. Then pre wire the tube, wrap it in a foam insulator to stop rattles and insert into mast. Fish screws through holes, attach with nuts, and fish out wire ends. The question is is there a better way, or is that pretty much the drill? It sounds easier than I am sure it will be in real life! Edd

 

[Rocinante33]

Consider using a lot of large wire tie-wraps. Place them on your wire bundle at say, 1' intervals, or closer. Alternate the direction the ends of the tie wraps stick out by 120 degrees. They will hold the wire bundle suspended in the interior of the mast. Plenty of space for the halyards.

Our boat currently has the PVC pipe secured (not so well?) by pop rivets. It rattles and slaps at anchor, or even when the wind is blowing strong in the slip. I don't know if it is the wire inside the PVC slapping or the PVC against the mast. I will change it next time I take the mast down.

P.S. In your plan I think you will have a hard time fishing the ends of the screws through the holes in the mast. In my technique it requires no holes. I heard about this here, so I shouldn't call it "mine."

 

[stbdtack]

pop rivets work well for attaching the conduit. you can get flathead poprivets that sit flush if you want to counterbore each hole.

 

[Randy Rutledge]

I used PVC tubing with an elbow at the top and a short tube to lead the wires to the masthead opening, a T at the steaming light with a PVC tube inserted in it through the wiring hole in the front of the mast then cut flush, all wires in the mast are in conduit. To mount the conduit to the mast I cut strips of 2" PVC that were about 2” wide and 6" long, heated them and flattened them, next I reheated them clamped them in a vise and curled the end around a piece of the mast conduit. This gave a large contact surface on the strip to be glued with PVC primer and glue to the conduit then the excess was trimmed off. I laid the conduit out by the mast and aligned the tabs with mast track mounting pop rivets on about 4’ centers glued the tabs to match these holes, removed the pop rivets and when the conduit was inserted in the mast the T for the steaming light was lined up and the tube for the steaming light inserted (this prevents halyards from abrading the wires where they pass between the forward halyards) and the self tapping screws were secured in the tabs through the mast track holed (I had to drill pilot holed in the tabs after the conduit was in the mast to get the screws to start. A properly sizes drill bit with the tip ground to a chisel tip worked best) If you can place a 6' piece of rebar with a line attached to pull it down as you work in the top of the conduit this will help hold the conduit down while drilling the tabs and inserting the screws. Use epoxy on the screw heads to prevent them from backing out or loosening.

After four years of hard sailing and 2100 miles of trailering, no problems with noise, wiring or halyard problems.

This is a PITA to do but has worked well for me thus far.

 

[exoduse35]

Randy, If I read you correctly thr screws went from the inside out? Or did the screws replace the rivets and go from the outside in? Or am I dense? Edd

 

[Randy Rutledge]

The screws replaced the rivits and went outside in and they must clear the main slides The slides on my E29 were relieved in the center to clear the rivits. using 2" pvc for the tabs gives more thickness to attach the screws.

If you would like I can do a sketch of the process and attach it.

 

[exoduse35]

I think I understand but a picture is always worth a thousand words! Your solution is cleaner than mine. I doubt it will be any easier, but it is the result that counts! I have seen the tie wrap solution, but with my luck they would catch on something and rip everything out, so the secured conduit seems worth the extra hassle. I have had te boat 5 years now and never had the mast down, and doubt it has ever been off. I hope that when I finally do get the new one on it will be a 1 day,1 time deal! Thanks for the help , Edd

 

[AleksT]

Consider using a lot of large wire tie-wraps. Place them on your wire bundle at say, 1' intervals, or closer.

The problem with bundling wires together is when you have to change one wire. The mast will have to come out and the bundle removed, rebundled, etc.
If you have a tube it is much easier to pull a single wire through. If your tube is lose it will slap against the side of the mast and will have to be reriveted. The slapping of the wires inside the tube is not very audible.