Running wires through pulpit (or not?)

[Kelpie]

My boat came without a pulpit, and I have sourced a secondhand one which I will be fitting soon. I also have no nav lights at the moment and would like to add a bicolour on the pulpit.
I'm wondering whether to route the cable through the pulpit, or to cabletie it to the outside? I'm just wondering whether the necessary holes would weaken the tubing, or let water in? An external cable would be a bit less neat but I'd have no worries about weakening the pulpit, and it would be a simple matter to have a deck gland for the cable.

 

[PhillM]

My boat came without a pulpit, and I have sourced a secondhand one which I will be fitting soon. I also have no nav lights at the moment and would like to add a bicolour on the pulpit.
I'm wondering whether to route the cable through the pulpit, or to cabletie it to the outside? I'm just wondering whether the necessary holes would weaken the tubing, or let water in? An external cable would be a bit less neat but I'd have no worries about weakening the pulpit, and it would be a simple matter to have a deck gland for the cable.

Been there. We had a pulpit but no Nav light. Mostly got it through but had to make a couple of in and out holes. RUBBASEAL was my friend and made a nice seal. Problem is I was given some by a shipwright mate and have no idea where to buy more from.

 

[Boathook]

My boat came without a pulpit, and I have sourced a secondhand one which I will be fitting soon. I also have no nav lights at the moment and would like to add a bicolour on the pulpit.
I'm wondering whether to route the cable through the pulpit, or to cabletie it to the outside? I'm just wondering whether the necessary holes would weaken the tubing, or let water in? An external cable would be a bit less neat but I'd have no worries about weakening the pulpit, and it would be a simple matter to have a deck gland for the cable.

Mine runs through the pulpit and straight through the deck so no visible cable aprt from by the nav light. Very little water (if any) comes into the locker via the cable.

 

[prv]

It's quite common to run the cable through the pulpit; personally I wouldn't worry about weakening it. Make sure the edges of the holes are nice and smooth, and if it were me I'd add some kind of additional sleeving to the cable where it passes through.

Pete

 

[JumbleDuck]

My front pulpit has wires running through it to the bicolour and it doesn't seem to have caused any problems. My back pulpit has wires running along the outside to the AIS antennae and that hasn't caused any problems either. Big ugly, though.

 

[William_H]

Or as a completely different option mount individual nav lights on the cabin side. Must be far enough back and low enough to not be obscured by jib. Wiring is then inside the cabin much easier and more reliable. I have seen too many nav lights on pulpit damaged in minor collisions with boats and jetties. good luck olewill

 

[Fantasie 19]

It's quite common to run the cable through the pulpit; personally I wouldn't worry about weakening it. Make sure the edges of the holes are nice and smooth, and if it were me I'd add some kind of additional sleeving to the cable where it passes through.

Pete

+1 on the sleeving..

On the old boat the cable entry was through one of the legs of the pulpit (cable entered from the forward cabin through the deck direct into the pulpit) The cable exited through a single hole underneath at the front... no water entry issues... now I'd probably put a blob of butyl tape in the hole round the cable just to be safe..

 

[KellysEye]

Our lights fore and aft were cable tied .

 

[Ceirwan]

I didn't because it would have meant removing the pulpit.

No i've discovered locker leak is coming from the feet of the pulpit pulling away and damaging the sealant (early British boat building, no backing plates or even penny washers!), so when I take it off to reseal it I'm going to run them inside.

I'd use a rubber grommet of some kind to protect them as they pass through.

 

[BobnLesley]

Definitely thread-through; it may not happen this week or even next, but if the wiring's cable tied to the outside, it will at some point get caught and broken by a tacking foresail; as noted by many/most, put a grommet on the wiring where it enters the pushpit tubing.

 

[TQA]

Mine go through the pulpit. Which turned out to be a bit of a PITA when I had to remove the pulpit to redo a weld.