Re-routing mast wiring on 32-III

[bgary]

I've been fussing with the rig before putting it back in the boat, replacing the antenna and a couple of lights.

When the rig came out, the coax came through at the step and into the locker under the dinette seat... but the electrical for the three lights (masthead/anchor light, steaming light, foredeck light) came out just under the deck and ran behind the headliner to the panel.

I'm thinking of re-routing those wires so they also come out at the step and go under the dinette. No really compelling reason, except easier to access if the rig ever needs to come out again, or if I want/need to inspect connections.

Before I think this through too far, thought I'd ask the Collected Expertise (tm)... any reason *not* to run mast electrical through the bottom of the mast? Note that there is already wiring there (for the shower sump-pump), so there is already at least one good (factory) routing path from the sump area to the panel.

Thx in advance....

 

[Loren Beach]

I once helped a friend with some maintenance stuff on an ODay 30, and all of their mast wiring came out almost at the bottom of the spar. In that boat there was commonly water up to that area if the bilge was not kept dry.

While the "Ericson way" (tm) of bringing all of our masthead wiring out of a drilled (invisible!) hole in the spar just under the headliner did let water in.... and ruin the zippers in that region, it seems like a pretty reasonable compromise compared to exposing the bundle of wiring to bilge water.

Against the concept... is the challenge of getting all the 12 volt wiring, coax, and instrument wires from there down to the breaker panel. It is mostly invisible, but also a bit complicated.

Regards,
Loren

 

[bgary]

Thanks, Loren...

To be more (?) clear, on the 32-3 the coax comes out of a hole above the mast step, which is above the cabin sole, which is "in the cabin" rather than in the bilge. If there is water over the connections there, I've got bigger problems.

And there's already a molded-in channel for the wiring to the sump-pump, plus the coax already runs from there to the nav-station. Haven't fully explored it yet, but there should be a viable path to the panel.

 

[Tom Metzger]

Before I think this through too far, thought I'd ask the Collected Expertise (tm)... any reason *not* to run mast electrical through the bottom of the mast? Note that there is already wiring there (for the shower sump-pump), so there is already at least one good (factory) routing path from the sump area to the panel.

FWIW, Pacific Seacraft when they started to make their version of the E-32-200 brought all of the wiring out at the base of the mast. When delivering my son's PS/E-333, the day after putting up the mast I had to take apart the connectors and clean the contacts.

It must have been the sudden attack of salt water after many years of lake water. :nerd:

 

[u079721]

Perhaps I was lucky, but I never had a problem with water intrusion into the headliner, so I rather liked the upper level exit for the non-coax wiring in my Ericson mast. That is at least after I fixed all the damage done to the wiring by the yard used by the original owner, who apparently pulled the mast once not even knowing that wiring was there!