How to deal with a foam filled cable conduit in the mast?

[Balbas]

I've got an original proctor mast on my Longbow. There are currently no cables up the mast at all, but I'd like to fit a vhf antenna and a masthead light.

The mast has a cable conduit fitted, but I believe that all of the proctor masts had the conduit filled with soft foam at the factory (why???). Certainly the mizzenmast conduit is filled with soft foam.

What can I use to poke through the foam in order to get a mousing line in? I'll be at the top of the mast doing this, so some screw together rods or something would work I guess. But I'm going to need (at a guess) 15 meters or so. My glamorous assistant will be at deck level ready to fish the mousing line out of the access hole at the base of the mast.

 

[matthewriches]

That sounds like it is going to be a barstool of a job!

 

[chrishscorp]

Polyester conduit puller rods is the only way I can think to do that, I also think that is going to be a PITA job, it would be easier with the mast down, as your also going to have to fit Tri colour, steaming light, VHF, windex ?

https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/DRCAKL.html

 

[MoodySabre]

My mast was the same and I used electricians rods. Handy having a son-in-law who is an electrician.

 

[Poignard]

All I can think of is to get the mast down on trestles so that one end is lower than the other and then get a length of wire rope of the largest diameter that will go into the conduit. Fray the business end of it. Gradually feed it into into the conduit from the lower end whilst rotating it with Mole grips, withdrawing frequently to remove debris.

And good luck with that!

Keep your spirits up as you work by cursing whoever decided to fill the conduit with foam!

ps Forget all that, do as Moody Sabre did!

 

[pvb]

Does the cable really have to go in the conduit?

 

[rszemeti]

Does the cable really have to go in the conduit?

The previous owner of my boat fitted all the cables outside the conduit, where they got to fight it out with the halyards. All I could hear on a quiet evening was the damn cables slopping about in the mast.

Got the mast off this winter, re-wiring the whole thing. Everything electrical is going down the conduit!

 

[Spirit (of Glenans)]

Could you push the cable rods upwards from the bottom?

 

[Laysula]

Is there a solvent that you could pour down the cable conduit from the top of the mast that would dissolve it?

 

[chrishscorp]

Just remembered, when i re wired mine which was taken down so i could renew the standing rigging and check the mast, i used a can of silicone spray to coat the wires as i pulled them through it did make it easier.

 

[pvb]

The previous owner of my boat fitted all the cables outside the conduit, where they got to fight it out with the halyards. All I could hear on a quiet evening was the damn cables slopping about in the mast.

It's sometimes said that it's possible to keep loose cables quiet if you fit 3 robust cable ties every metre or so, with tails pointing out at 120 degrees. I have no experience of this.

 

[penberth3]

...The mast has a cable conduit fitted, but I believe that all of the proctor masts had the conduit filled with soft foam at the factory (why???). Certainly the mizzenmast conduit is filled with soft foam...

Would it be easier to remove and replace the conduit?

 

[Bilgediver]

Are you sure there is conduit. Many original Proffer masts had cables to the masthead for tricolour and but antenna. There was no foam. You could tell these boats in a marina from 100 metres by the sound of the cables slapping the mast internally as the boat rolled. I got used to it but many owners put foam in the mast to stop the slap. If this is what you have then I doubt the mast is filled but more likely foam at each end and spreaders plus possibly other locations. You might be able to confirm this by gently tapping the mast along its length. Foam locations could sound different to foam free.