Any ideas on how to stop the masthead light elec cable slapping the in

[streamslip]

How can i stop the masthead light elec cable slapping the inside of the ally mast on my Matilda 20.
Have tried pulling cable taught but stillslaps inside of mast keeping me awake.HELP.

 

[RufusM]

Couple of options:

1. run it inside a conduit

2. tie plastic cable ties to it leaving their "tails" on. Using enough it will hold the cable away from the inside of the mast

/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Noddy]

I really like the "Cable Ties" idea.

Thats the sort of thing I hope this forum is all about.

Paul

 

[Guest]

Ours was stuffed with polystyrene, but it had reacted with the PVC wire and glued up solid.

I have never done this but wondered about the use of foam.
I am meaning the stuff in the cans that builders use.

Some of the big keel stepped masts have "mast dams" in them to stop water entering the boat. But there are corrosion issues.

I doubt just putting the nozzle in through a small hole will work but if there was a hole big enough to force a plastic bag through, then the foam would be contained within the bag until it is set. It would also not stick to the walls and not trap water. You would have to do some trials. It also assumes your halyards are on the outside!!!

Some packaging in cardboard boxes is done this way.

The downside is you would need to remove the mast base and have a long stick to ever get it out again or add a new wire.

 

[doug748]

I have used both methods outlined by Nighthawk. The cable tie wheeze works pretty well even on a bigger mast and should be ok for you. If you feel you may be adding extra wires over the years, then it might be worth using a conduit. I pop riveted a 1" plastic water pipe inside one mast; tho it was a bit of a fiddle and certainly a "mast down" winter job.

 

[Shanty]

I use foam pipe insulation - works for me.

It comes in 1mtr lengths, so just thread the cables through the insulation. Tape the sections together in case you need to remove it in future. Saves having to remove the cables from the mast to fit cable ties, but does need you to remove the mast base to insert the insulation.

 

[halcyon]

Our yacht came with sponges tied at intervals to a thin rope, this was then pulled up the inside of the mast.

Brian

 

[pappaecho]

Re: Any ideas on how to stop the masthead light elec cable slapping th

Gumming up the innard of the mast will make future threading of cables near impossible.
One (lateral) solution to your sleep problem lies in Boots. Buy wax earplugs, and you will not hear it or anything else including SWMBO if she is around.. What?

 

[billskip]

cable ties (leaving the end on ) worked for me..before putting the ties I tried the same as you making the cables tight but in fact it made it worse..I found if I made the cable as slack as possible it did not slap around so much.In the end I fitted the ties, problem solved for me.

 

[tyce]

out of intrest what is the name of your matilda

 

[Pye_End]

How far apart do all of these devices need to be?

 

[Avocet]

Don't EVER, EVER, E-V-E-R, be tempted to use builder's foam! It works just fine in terms of stopping the rattling but (and take it from one who learned the hard way!) it makes re-wiring anything one hell of a job! I thought "well, what the hell, all my wires are new, what can possibly go wrong with a piece of wire in the time my mast has left in it!?

The following week some GIT drove past my mast on the trestles next to the boat and snapped the VHF antenna base!

It took me three consecutive weekends to get all the foam out (a set of drain rods and a "poo auger" worked in the end) and re-wire it completely. Even then, I hate to think what I might have done to the anodising on the inside!

I then did it with cable ties and they work fine.

 

[steve_cronin]

Skinny masts like...

...yours probably don't have an integral cable duct so whoever fitted the cable just dropped in down inside the mast with the halyards and connected it up before sticking his hand out for the cash and departing swiftly!

I would get a duct in the form of a full length of PVC conduit pop rivited down the length of the mast if I were you and have several lengths of messenger thread pulled through it too. You are likely to want to fit all sorts of other devices in the future and without these, you will be repeating your current problem, manifold. Your designer never intended for your boat to be so sophisticatedly equipped!

Steve Cronin

 

[chas]

Re: Skinny masts like...

Ping pong balls seem to work.

 

[gandy]

Re: Any ideas on how to stop the masthead light elec cable slapping th

Would the tie-wraps interfere with internal halyards? Some of the other suggestions, like foam or sponges, all seem to assume nothing else is run inside the mast.

 

[doug748]

Re: Any ideas on how to stop the masthead light elec cable slapping th

No problems with the ties in the past 5 years.

 

[Mudplugger]

Pump it full of foam! then not only will it stop the rattle, but it might stop your fine vessel from inverting...HTH (good trip Back?)

 

[oldharry]

Re: Any ideas on how to stop the masthead light elec cable slapping th

.... and as already mentioned make it well nigh bl==dy impossible to retrieve the cabling if you ever need to! I know I'm just trying to do it where the cables were run in pipe insulation which has crumpled up and totally blocked the mast about 3 metres up. Nothing will shift it - not even drain rods at present. Planning to try and melt it out with a hot air gun as a last resort..... So far spent 3 days on what should be an hours work.

Much easier not to use any foam in the first place! Confirms my view that cable ties tails are the really the only practical long term solution.

 

[hightech]

Re: Any ideas on how to stop the masthead light elec cable slapping th

If you have a number of cables in the same mast space, try putting a couple of twists in them, they then act as one heavier cable and will need far more boat movement to get them to knock. Just remember the twist if you need to do any changes in the future!