Cutting mast electrical wires at the foot of the mast 🧐

We had a mast junction box in the foredeck locker, our locker extended to the saloon windows. The box was directly under the deck and adjacent to the mast base. The junction box had a sealed 'lid' made waterproof by a gasket. There was a swan neck from above the junction box and adjacent to the mast base

All the connections were labelled.

We had seas over the saloon roof.

We had no issues with the arrangements..

Most windlass and bow thrusters have connections in more exposed locations. If the connections and box have sufficient integrity there should be no issues.

However you mention individual 'splices' - the splices might be more of an issue.

Jonathan
 
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When I rewired my mast a few years ago, I extended the wires and made connections inside behind the headlining. Cables went through deck glands, not those crap brass sockets. Never had an issue since.
 
I got rid of all my deck glands and plugs, and fitted one swan neck tube instead. You can get wires through it with the end connectors still on them. It's nice and neat. And it's never let any water past, yet, although I could see how it might if we were taking a lot of green water over the deck. I might tape it up at some point.
 
Our boat came with chocolate block connectors inside a waterproof box on the bulkhead below the mast, inside the boat. Each wire came through its own brass gland on deck. Even at the relatively young age that the boat was then, the rubber seals inside these glands were perished and leaked a little.
Initially I put a blob of Sikaflex on each rubber before tightening the cap down. This cut out any leakage but before long the rubber seals broke. I then found that Sikaflex alone was perfectly effective, particularly because the mast was not taken down all that often, certainly less than 10 times in our 30 years of ownership.
 
Ours are all cut and joined above the headlining in the saloon. Radar has RJ45 coupler, VHF has BNC coupler and the electrical are WAGO or some form of auto connector crimped on. I also used a coupler on the network backbone to the helm and the N2k to the helm so they can be disconnected to remove and maintain the helm or the cockpit teak.
 
I'd worry about the word 'splice' you used. Its all about convenience of connecting, disconnecting and ensuring the wires are labelled and connected using a device that can be used again and again AND is contained in a waterproof box and the waterproof box is tucked away from water.

Our mast was installed at new and never came out till 25 years later for new rigging. I don't know but a rotating mast might need more regular attention and access to the junction box might be quite critical if mast removal is yearly. You then be interested in easy access to ensure each re-connection was easy - as if its easy it might then be better connections (and not splices). The other factor would be the available length of the shortest wire.

Jonathan
 
Neeves said:
I'd worry about the word 'splice' you used. Its all about convenience of connecting, disconnecting and ensuring the wires are labelled and connected using a device that can be used again and again AND is contained in a waterproof box and the waterproof box is tucked away from water.

Our mast was installed at new and never came out till 25 years later for new rigging. I don't know but a rotating mast might need more regular attention and access to the junction box might be quite critical if mast removal is yearly. You then be interested in easy access to ensure each re-connection was easy - as if its easy it might then be better connections (and not splices). The other factor would be the available length of the shortest wire.

Jonathan
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for sure, not my boat, see vid, owner doing some DIY ...
 
Maybe people watch 'these' videos as entertainment - I don't watch them at all - life is too short. Having said that I did watch a number when I wanted to anodise aluminium, and I watched a Marlow vid, a long time ago, on splicing - never say never.

But there is always a chance people pick out specific videos, like I did, to learn, educate themselves, and if someone posts a vid here, it is Practical Boast Owner, then its not unrealistic to consider the possibility someone might copy a technique in a vid - and offering ones own experience might help them.

It wasn't you boat - but could be.

We took the mast out after 25 years to replace rigging, but it could have been done one stay at a time and the mast never needed to come out. I would expect the wiring to be split at the mast base but location? different to a mast that comes out annually. Different yachts have different opportunities for location, I don't think there is a one size fits all.

Jonathan
 
mmmmm I wouild not say its commonplace - most yachts I saw in UK and in fact many locations .. most yachts were ashore with masts still up. It was only the odd few not ... and usually because owners wanted to work on the mast.

Back to cable connections .... interesting .. as my SR25 from the mid 70's - all cables are routed to deck fittings and the mast cables connect on deeck ... standard marine deck fittings for VHF / Steaming light / anchor light.

My C38 has all cables going to connections underdeck behind headlining ...

Interesting point is the my on deck fittings do not leak and work.
My underdeck fittings work but leak !
 
Obviously no break or splice is better.

But not all splices are created alike. If you use a heat-shrink glue-filled butt splice and a good crimper, that's pretty robust. Think about strain relief and put into a decent waterproof junction box and it's not too bad. You will spend some £££, however.
 
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