Mast wiring

[Peter K]

I have my mast down on my 1988 32-200. Just finished painting it and replacing some of the Navtec standing rigging and shroud turnbuckle screws. When I took it down I had to cut the wiring for the electronics.

I'd like to put some kind of easy connection on instead of cutting the wires each time the mast comes down. Any recommendations? Peter

 

[Loren Beach]

My '88 model has a terminal strip for the 12 volt masthead wiring. This is under the headliner about a foot away from the drilled-out hole in the spar for wiring exits that is concealed under that headliner. I added another terminal strip for newer wind instruments later.

One caution is that the 'invisible' hole in the spar for wiring access will allow rain water to follow the wiring into the interior just above the headliner and corrode out the zippers....
After we bought the boat used, I siliconed those wires where they had formerly allowed drip water to get in -- no water from there since.

Loren

 

[Christian Williams]

Bruce's blog shows the connector strip on the 1985 32-3.

http://www.ericsonyachts.org/infoex...-boat-on-a-truck-in-three-days-(part-2-of-5-)

 

[lnill]

When I repainted and rewired the mast on my '87 38-200, I ran the wires to the base of the mast and made an access hole there. I covered it with a curved plate purchased from Rig-Rite. They are bandits but I couldn't find a plate elsewhere.
http://www.rigrite.com/Spars/SparPa....html#Electrical_Cover, Exit, & Access Plates
Lee

 

[lnill]

One caution is that the 'invisible' hole in the spar for wiring access will allow rain water to follow the wiring into the interior just above the headliner and corrode out the zippers....
After we bought the boat used, I siliconed those wires where they had formerly allowed drip water to get in -- no water from there since.

Loren[/QUOTE]

Loren,
I never connected the dots on this until reading your post. There is only one zipper in my headliner that doesn't work and it is that one. I have never gotten around to fixing it since I now don't use that terminal strip. I guess I should plug that hole.

 

[Rocinante33]

If I had my mast down I would replace the wiring and I would use smaller gauge, lighter wire and upgrade the lights to all LED. LED lights have less current demand so lighter gauge wire, hence less weight aloft, is appropriate.

With the wiring, make a drip loop which will drip the rain water down to the mast step, not through the access hole as it runs down the wire. Just a loop of the wire down the mast past the hole will help.

 

[Christian Williams]

Regarding zippers, they are really easy to fix. On Thelonious, many of the original white-metal pulls were corroded, but the Nylon teeth and the zipper fabric were still perfect.

A bag of assorted replacement zipper pulls from a sewing shop solves all.

Can't beat the Ericson vinyl headliner, in my opinion, for a neat look and easy access. And the headliner can be changed out pretty easily, too.

 

[bgary]

I'm curious, has anyone tried a "fixnzip"?

http://www.fixnzip.com/shop/

It appears to be a zipper pull that opens wide enough to slide onto the zipper, and then can be adjusted/tightened once in place.

If it works, it might be less work than opening the stitching and threading a new pull onto the end of the overhead zipper I need to fix.

 

[Joliba]

Please let us know if you try that type of zipper pull. The other ones available are quite tricky and often frustrating to apply, especially in awkward places such as deep within a small hanging locker.

 

[GrandpaSteve]

Zipper Slider

I used these, perfect fit on Glory Days zippers. 3 sliders to a pack:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005I56JV6/ref=pe_175190_21431760_3p_M3T1_ST1_dp_1

 

[supersailor]

This site is the greatest. I have two frozen zippers that I was considering cutting out and hand sewing new zippers in place of them. This looks much better. Pry apart the old pull and replace it!

 

[bgary]

fix-n-zip

Please let us know if you try that type of zipper pull.

The short answer is.... almost, but not quite.

I looked online and found that Jo Ann Fabric carries them in stock, so I picked up two - one small, one medium

The small was not quite large enough to fit over the coils.

The medium was just slightly too large, and didn't knit the coils together all the time... sometimes yes, sometimes no, and enough "no" to be frustrating.

Great concept, just didn't quite fit. So I took them back and got a replacement zipper pull, will try the approach Christian suggests.


ProTip (tm): Jo Ann's preys on unsuspecting men. I didn't know that there are always - ALWAYS - online coupons for 40-50% off a regular-priced item, and every female apparently knows that "nobody ever pays full retail at Jo Ann's". Explains why they had the fix-n-zip for just about twice the price listed at Amazon; a clever person with a coupon gets the Jo Ann price down to "normal". Two minutes to download the app onto my phone solved the problem.

 

[Loren Beach]

Yup, it's a bit tricky

I found the replacement zipper pulls at a large fabric store. Price was about $.75 each or maybe it was less. It's been a while.
Almost all of the original pulls were corroded and immobile and most had to be removed in pieces. I did have to remove some staples to get access to the end of the zipper tracks. You need almost three hands to assemble the pull onto the tracks! Use lots of dry lube, too.
Once the new one is on, stitch the closed zipper together at the end to prevent the new pull from accidently going beyond the ends.

Loren

 

[frick]

Zippers

I always get YKK Zippers from Sailrite.

Rick+

 

[HerbertFriedman]

Zipper maven, I need help. One zipper on my 87 E34 headliner is stuck, frozen, will not budge. Tried the vinegar soak for a week, nada. I probably can pry the zipper pull jaws apart to remove the pull but then how do I get the replacement pull started. The zipper is closed, do I pry the teeth apart at the pull end or open all the teeth in order to get a new pull on? I dont think I can access the end of the zipper to slide the new pull on but this nifty zipper pull with the tightening knob may be able to spread jaws enough to slip it on. any suggestions?

 

[markvone]

Zipper Pulls at Outdoor Wilderness Fabrics

Here ya go:

http://www.owfinc.com/hardware.html

Under Zippers, Continuous Coil Sliders, about halfway down

Item # 5CLS Lg Hole, YKK Coil Locking ST Slider Lg hole in Biege 0.19 each

Buy a couple dozen to defray the $2.50 in S&H.

I have installed my first two so far. Once on, work like a charm, exact color match.

Somebody here on the site found them before me.

Mark

 

[Christian Williams]

If the new slider is hard to get on (because of tension in the headliner vinyl) , use a razor blade to detach about two inches of zipper tape from the headliner (hand sew it back, later).

There are many YouTube videos on slider replacement. One is Sailrite. Start about minute 2:50

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FztgKTHtjQY

(At the end, when he says "install zipper stops here", just sew the ends together, using thread to form a barrier so the slider can't run off the tracks)

 

[frick]

Try wd40

Zipper maven, I need help. One zipper on my 87 E34 headliner is stuck, frozen, will not budge. Tried the vinegar soak for a week, nada. I probably can pry the zipper pull jaws apart to remove the pull but then how do I get the replacement pull started. The zipper is closed, do I pry the teeth apart at the pull end or open all the teeth in order to get a new pull on? I dont think I can access the end of the zipper to slide the new pull on but this nifty zipper pull with the tightening knob may be able to spread jaws enough to slip it on. any suggestions?

Try some WD40... They sell a pen like device that you can use to paint it directly on the zipper teeth. Or, use the little straw and spray. It not only lubes, but the cleans.
Rick