[alberg30] Re: Mast Wiring

sunstone sunstone at idirect.com
Mon Mar 22 08:01:26 PST 1999


From: sunstone <sunstone at idirect.com>

Thomas:

Sounds like a couple of projects there, I've installed wind instruments
before and would strongly recommend taking the stick down.   You will be
drilling and tapping the top of the masthead where alignment of the arm
on the vane is critical, as well as the alignment of a Tri Colour, hey
why stop at an anchor light.

Additionally, running some PVC conduit inside the mast and putting all
your wiring inside will eliminate the annoying slatting of the wires
against the mast at anchor at night.   Just pop rivet the PVC to the
mast wall using a wire hook (coat hanger is perfect) to pull it close
about every few feet (3' for example).

To answer your question it is possible to fish the wires using a
weighted line, lead foil rolled up tightly to the light line will do but
I don't recommend it for what you are planning.  Too much chance of
dropping something and you will spend too much time aloft to do it
safely with all the drilling/tapping etcetera. 

I've done this type of work on several boats, you always run into some
custom fiddling or fabricating or other snag and it always takes longer
than you expect.   Wind instruments are easy to mess up and they are
delicate, a little spider spray on the arm is a good idea, but not on
the head unit or plastic bits.

Good luck and I'm sure you will enjoy your new toys.

J Birch



Forhan, Thomas wrote:
> 
> From: "Forhan, Thomas" <Thomas.Forhan at mail.house.gov>
> 
> Now I've done it. Spring has sprung.
> 
> Last night at West Marine I fell for a deal on an Autohelm ST30 wind
> indicator system ($320!).  Raytheon -which owns Autohelm- is discontinuing
> the line as it changes all the products to the Raytheon name. (For another
> $220 I also got a matching ST30 speed/log/depth indicator, with two
> transducers, which will replace the frozen corroded mechanical log and the
> electro-mechanical (rotating pie-plate) genuine Fathometer (tm) )
> 
> To boot, I also have no anchor light at the masthead -nor evidence of wiring
> for one.
> 
> So finally my question: can I fish lines down without dropping the mast?
> Anyone already done this, and have advice or hints?
> 
> Thanks
> 
> Tom F.
> Calliope, #287
> 
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