What's inside your mast?

R

RufusM

Well-Known Member
Joined
26 Sep 2004
Messages
199
Location
Here an there
Visit site
What\'s inside your mast?

Repalcing the VHF cable that had deteriorated over many years was going to be quite straightforward until it snapped!

Leaving few options about threading fishing wire and lead weights down it etc etc (plenty of previous posts about this).

But do you know if there are strenthening plates inside an aluminium mast or are they hollow all the way down?

The mast was made by IYE (international Yacht Equipment) and I can't seem to find a website which also begs

Question 2 - how tight should the standing rigging be?

Your help is much appreciated.... /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif
 
Re: What\'s inside your mast?

You may need to do this with the mast out of the boat over winter....
If there is not a dedicated conduit ,you might have bits of polystyrene expanded foam or pieces of sponge foam shoved in there(very scientific I know) to stop cables clanging around-in which case try using a piece of old standing rigging as the new mouse wire-if you push it AND twist it whenever you come upon an obstruction,chances are that it will force a path through whatever is up there without the need to remove spreader plates etc but be aware of other electriceries eg spreader and steaming lights. The base of the mast is usually open so poke a torch up there and have a look first.The most difficult bit with rewiring is getting the new wcable through the holes in the mast wall ,because of the change of angle,grommets ,friction ,much easier with patience and two people.
Question 2 .Only you can answer that .The shrouds should not twang like a guitar string but be taught enough that the mast is straight when sailing,so have a sight up the luff groove and from the side when next out for a sail.Severe Overtightening all round puts unfair continual load on all components -and the hull too !
 
Re: What\'s inside your mast?

There should be a conduit inside for the cables. The trick is to get at the ends of it.

There won't be any horizontal plates inside to block access, except perhaps at deck level in a keel-stepped mast.
 
Re: What\'s inside your mast?

Did this job on my IYE mast last winter(mast down). same as you , VHF cable had snapped. Had to drill out rivets in mast base plate then thread down old bit of standing rigging from top. No blocking plates but blind end of rivets holding on spreader roots etc, and lower stay tang through bolts can be a pest, you just have to persevere. Once you`ve got it through.CAREFULLY attach,tape or tie cable to rigging wire and haul up from bottom. grommet at mast head may be too small to allow this and you may have to tie on a STRONG thin line messenger to wire and haul that up first then tie new VHF cable on to that.Now push another piece of line through VHF cable outlet grommet near foot of mast from the OUTSIDE into the mast, capture this working from the open base of mast using a hooked wire or similar and drag out of open base. Tape this to lower end of new cable and CAREFULLY pull line back through and work line/cable joint through grommet.You may have to remove grommet to get this through, then slide it up new cable and refit. If so watch out for sharp hole edges cutting line as you`re pulling it through.Remember to use monel rivets to re-assemble mast plate and also to use anti corrosive paste on rivets and mast base plate.
Some people, especially racers, seem to like their rigging tight enough to fire their mast through the boat like an arrow. IMHO rigging should be just tight enough and no more. capstays till they don`t sag off to leeward, lower stays, esp. fore, tighter,forestay tightest.
Hope this helps,
Cheers
Pete
 
Re: What\'s inside your mast?

PS.Further to Snowleopards point, there was no cable conduit in my IYE mast, and the cable just flopped about in there. To stop it clanging about to can fix plastic cable ties, in groups of three, with tails sticking out at 120 degrees,like a Mercedes badge, about every foot of the cable as you haul it up the mast.
Pete.
 
Re: What\'s inside your mast?

I would do it when down - but would be sure to replace ALL the cables at the same time. Two reasons:

1. You get to be sure that any other wiring isn't going to fail a month after you fix the co-ax.

2. You can fix a piece of strong line to the remaining cables, so when you pull them out you got a line inside the mast. Then you can pull all the new lot up in one go.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top