In mast wire stuck fast

[MJWB]

The mast on my boat is presently down and as part of a sprucing up I thought I'd replace the in mast wiring along with the masthead tricolour/anchor light. Rightly or wrongly I thought I could just haul the new wire through attached to the old having disconnected everything. However, the old three core wire is stuck fast and won't move, except for the small amount of slack each end. Solid as a rock somewhere inside. Don't want to pull it too hard. I sense there may be a channel or tube within the mast in which the wires run, but I've no idea really. I assume that to be the case as when sailing there is no sound of wires slapping about in the mast.
Can only get to the boat once per week and this is now frustrating!
Anyone got any thoughts on why or ideas please?

 

[DownWest]

Remove the top cap and heel (though the heel might be a bit corroded.. Then you get a better look. If still tricky/stuck, Just thread a new one with an electrician's 'snake' and leave the old one, cut short.

 

[neil_s]

You are correct - there should be a tube. You might find evidence of it's position in some odd pop rivets every now and then as you go up the mast. There will be a break in the tube at the mid - way position, so that the steaming light wire can come out. The tube might not be of very large diameter, so if the wires are a bit twisted together they can jam themselves in - especially around the pop rivets. You might have to pull all the wires out together and put new ones in together. Take the heel fitting off - you might get an idea about what's going on by shining a torch up the inside.

 

[Dave100456]

The mast on my boat is presently down and as part of a sprucing up I thought I'd replace the in mast wiring along with the masthead tricolour/anchor light. Rightly or wrongly I thought I could just haul the new wire through attached to the old having disconnected everything. However, the old three core wire is stuck fast and won't move, except for the small amount of slack each end. Solid as a rock somewhere inside. Don't want to pull it too hard. I sense there may be a channel or tube within the mast in which the wires run, but I've no idea really. I assume that to be the case as when sailing there is no sound of wires slapping about in the mast.
Can only get to the boat once per week and this is now frustrating!
Anyone got any thoughts on why or ideas please?

If you don't have/want to use an electrician's "fish" you could always use a fine line attached to a cotton wool ball and suck it the length of the mast with a vacuum cleaner rather like the reverse of a blowpipe dart. Then you have your mouse lead. I've used this technique successfully in mast conduits before.

 

[MJWB]

If you don't have/want to use an electrician's "fish" you could always use a fine line attached to a cotton wool ball and suck it the length of the mast with a vacuum cleaner rather like the reverse of a blowpipe dart. Then you have your mouse lead. I've used this technique successfully in mast conduits before.

Love it thanks.

 

[anoccasionalyachtsman]

The mast on my boat is presently down and as part of a sprucing up I thought I'd replace the in mast wiring along with the masthead tricolour/anchor light. Rightly or wrongly I thought I could just haul the new wire through attached to the old having disconnected everything. However, the old three core wire is stuck fast and won't move, except for the small amount of slack each end. Solid as a rock somewhere inside. Don't want to pull it too hard. I sense there may be a channel or tube within the mast in which the wires run, but I've no idea really. I assume that to be the case as when sailing there is no sound of wires slapping about in the mast.
Can only get to the boat once per week and this is now frustrating!
Anyone got any thoughts on why or ideas please?

Most modern masts have two conduits extruded in next to the sail groove at the back. Prior to that they may have a tube as @neil_s mentions, but some have nothing and the wires come down among the halyards. That's obviously not ideal and so an 'approved method' was to coat the wire with glue (EvoStik contact) as it was pulled into the mast. If that's what you have then you might get it out by peeling it back on itself.

I second taking an end off for a look.

 

[LadyInBed]

If you haven't already, try rotating the mast 180 degrees then use a length of wood to tap (bash) the mast along its length.
If the cable is jammed on a rivet or something, that might free it.

 

[Jamie Dundee]

Always a possibility that the wire is cable tied to another cable inside the mast.

 

[Boathook]

One of my mast wires was stuck fast in the conduit by duralac. It would seem that I had been generous in its application on a fitting and a lot of the surplus went in via the pre drilled rivet holes. Thought that the wire was trapped by a rivet so expecting it to break as brut force was applied. Very surprised and lucky.

 

[MJWB]

Thanks all

 

[MJWB]

Thanks all