oops - wiring a mast help please!

[Iain_H]

My worst nightmare came true. I was feeding my new cable through the mast, with the help of fishing line. All was going well when the wire became stuck at the entrance. Trying to Pull it back out snapped it and now I have no lead to take any new wire down the mast.

/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

Thought you'd like that.

Question: how can I best get a new wire into the mast?

The mast is completely enclosed but there are two rollers at the bottom for the ropes that can come out. My thinking is to stand teh mast on its end and drop a shackle pin, attached to fishing wire, to the floor. From the bottom hole, do similar and then, with the two bits of fishing wire attached, pull it through the bottom hole again. Does this seem (understandable) sensible?

Would you use fishing wire? My last stuff became very entangled. Messy and stressful. Something between fishing wire and fusewire is what I'm thinking. can you recommend anything.

cheers

 

[homa]

Just done mine.
The mast was already rigged with the boat afloat.

went aloft on my webbing mast ladder (can't remember its name)

used a sink plug chain attached to some 2mm nylon line. Small enough to pass through the hole in the top of the mast.

Just fished the chain and line out the bottom with a piece of bent wire.

Pulled the electrical wire up the mast with the nylon line
- have plastic cable ties every few feet on the elec cable to stop it frapping inside when at anchor.

Cheers
Homa

 

[fastjedi]

How about an electricians cable rod kit?

http://www.screwfix.com/app/sfd/cat/pro.jsp?cId=A334482&ts=09239&id=89981

 

[gardenshed]

use a bicycle chain to drop a mouse line down the mast.
Another alternative is a spring (the type that is used inside a pipe when you are pipe bending). My favoured method is the chain securely tied on to a 2-3mm thick line, not to fishing line.

 

[davidwf]

I did exactly the same this year, got a nylon cable access thing from B&Q for £5 it worked a treat.

 

[ShipsWoofy]

if stepped you may be able to use a rigging wire if you have an old one and push the cable through rather than trying to pull it.

That is how I did mine anyway.

If it is not in a channel, use a hose pipe, done that too!

 

[fireball]

I used kite string .... as I have some spare from a kite that could drag me across the sand ... must be strong enough then!

 

[Guest]

Post deleted by danfoley

 

[Iain_H]

Fantastic guys. Feeling much better now.