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Ericson 38 installing new wind transducer

paul hanshaw

New Member
What I thought was going to be a simple change over of my 26 yr old wind transducer to a new Raymarine i70.
Went up the mast, removed the old base and arm. The old cable was to be used to pull the new cable down and out the bottom hole of the keel stepped mast. The old transducer cable, and also the VHF radio antenna cable (which is ok and is staying) both are somehow anchored inside the mast. The cable does not pull up from on top or down at the base where the wires exit the mast. It is tight with a strong pull up or down. The Main and Jib halyards both run freely inside the mast, so there is no tangle there. The anchor light, steaming and deck lights all work properly. Is there any information on whether these wires run in conduit inside the mast? Am I overlooking some obvious reason?
Thank you for any experience you may have with this question.

Paul Hanshaw
 

Mort Fligelman

Member III
Mast Wiring

Paul: On my 35-3 the wires are in a conduit that is covered by the sail slide track.......this is held in place by screws, but slides into the mast from the bottom to the top in sections......I do not see any way of that track being removed other than unstepping the mast.....I rewired my mast in 2010, so my thinking may be a bit off, but I just looked at a picture of the mast sitting on the base on top of the metal plate, amd I do not see any other way of getting into that conduit.

Sorry to toss the cold water......but thats what I find

Good Luck
 

e38 owner

Member III
Mine is a 1981 hull 30
The wire is in a conduit
I remember having the same issue when I did the replacement.
I ended up splicing the wire at the top and then replaced the wire when I pulled the mast
I can't remember why but it was really easy with the mast down. Part of the reason was the angle where the conduit stops and the hole in the mast near the cabin top begins
 
On my E35, Sketcher, had same problem. Stuck and could not move, eventually it snapped. In looking with a wire camera at top of mast,
the conduit was "offset" creating bad angle. This created a kink up top.

Patience and working slow did not help. Eventually got a new tag line and then pulled the new cable. It can be frustrating.

Hilco
 

mkollerjr

Member III
Blogs Author
Is the mast raked at all? Over-tensioned backstay adjustor? If so, the bend in the mast could be making it difficult to phish the new wire due to friction, and also explain why it's easier with the mast down.
 
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