Cable ties to stop cables in mast slapping

[simonfraser]

I have a spare halyard and reasonable access hole.
Would putting cable ties on the halyard work ?
Any one tried this ?
How many per meter ?

 

[wiggy]

I recon it would only work if cable ties were on noisy cables themselves.

 

[simonfraser]

I recon it would only work if cable ties were on noisy cables themselves.

That's the Q ... anyone tried it ?

 

[pvb]

Most masts have cable ducts. If these haven't been used, why not re-route the cables?

 

[Avocet]

I suspect it wouldn't work that well. Depending on whether your spare halyard ran up the centre of the mast, or closer to one side, the cables might not slap "as much", but with the cable ties round the halyard, rather than the cables, they're not actually sopping the cables from contacting the inside of the mast - just making it less likely.

 

[Lakesailor]

I have a spare halyard and reasonable access hole.
Would putting cable ties on the halyard work ?
Any one tried this ?
How many per meter ?

How about tying bunches of bubble wrap to the halyard at intervals?

 

[macd]

Don't do it, for the same reason it's a nightmare with cables in conduits: it'll make it the devil's own job to remove the cables individually or mouse another one through.

 

[simonfraser]

Don't do it, for the same reason it's a nightmare with cables in conduits: it'll make it the devil's own job to remove the cables individually or mouse another one through.

Yeh, that's my other concern ....

 

[oldsaltoz]

Use the robust cable ties and secure 3 at a time with each leg forming a triangle contact point, they need to be a metre apart.

Good luck and fair winds.

 

[Salty John]

I very much doubt it will work because the cables will still be free to slap the mast - the ties have to go on the offending cables.

Longer term you need to fasten a cable conduit in the mast if it doesn't have one already.

 

[ianat182]

One other possible alternative might be to use some builder's expanding foam through the access hole,keeping the cables under tension whilst doing so and allowing to cure. If the access hole is high enough you may do quite a job of it, even better if mast is lowered and the inside accessible from the masthead or base.
If your halyards are internally fitted then this option is not practical.

ianat182

 

[pvb]

One other possible alternative might be to use some builder's expanding foam through the access hole,keeping the cables under tension whilst doing so and allowing to cure.

Aarrrggghhhhh! That would make it impossible ever to add or replace any cables!

 

[Lakesailor]

Bubblewrap seems not to attract much attention.

 

[Ian_Edwards]

same problem!

I've had the same problem and haven't been able to find satisfactory solution, without taking the mast down (sorry!).

So I bit the bullet and the mast is now down for the winter.

As I look inside the mast I can see that all the cables are inside two conduits, which are fixed either side of the mast track, except the cable for the combined steaming and deck light, which is loose and free to clang about.

I guess this is because the steaming/deck light cable comes in from the forward side of the mast and the conduits are on the aft side the mast, so it's very difficult to get this cable into the conduit.

I'm going to take the cable out and use the tie-wrap trick (3 tie-wraps spaced 120 deg apart every meter or so) and see if that eliminates the clanging when we roll gently at anchor.

Could you have the same problem with just the steaming/deck light cable? And can you drop that cable from a bosun's chair using a mousing line and then feed it back up with tie-wraps attached?

 

[Halo]

I did the cable tie trip on the actual mast head light and vhf aerial cables on my old Westerly 25 and it worked fine. I managed to get new cables in and out when required
I would not like to try it on my new boat because there are proper cable ducts neither would I do this on a haliard - even if you are not using it as a haliard - because a rope haliard is not nealy as stiff a wire so I expect it would allow the cable ties to defelct rather than stopping the slapping.
If you have spare VHF cable then the other thing is to use tape to form the offending cables into looped rings as they are pulled into the mast. If the loops are bigger than the i.d. of the mast they can stop slapping
hope this helps
Martin