wires coming out of mast

[pandos]

Yesterday,after I had chickened out of a 22 mile upwind slog into 24 knots of wind and horrible seas, I noticed that a strange cord was hanging out of the sail groove on my mast.

On closer inspection I discovered this was in fact the cable going to my wind instrument. Today whilst motoring back I saw more cables are also hanging out.

It seems the cables were in a fold which forms a conduit at the side of the sail groove/track.

The mast is deck stepped with wired on both sides of the groove, they drop out the base of the mast a few inches off the deck. The mast is 14m high.fpr medical reasons I cannot climb the mast, I can live without the mast head instruments but I cannot risk having the main jammed in a tangle of cables 10m above the deck.

Any suggestions on what to do next....

I am thinking that if I could access these conduits by removing the mast gate that I may be able to push a split plastic conduit up the mast around the cables and thereby prevent further escapes...

Open to any other suggestions.

 

[William_H]

It seems to me from your description that the Ali(?) extrusion which forms the mast track and cover for the cables is fitted in sections just pushed together and that the bottom extrusion and perhaps ones further up have dislodged and slipped down leaving a gap where the wires have come out. If that is the case you amy be able to tension the wires o bring them back into line and force the extrusions back up into place. Just a thought ol'will

 

[vyv_cox]

This is normal with older Kemp (Selden) mast sections. The cable grooves are each side of the sail slot. If you can apply a light tension to the cables at the bottom it will help to pull them straight. It is normally not a problem.

 

[pandos]

This is normal with older Kemp (Selden) mast sections. The cable grooves are each side of the sail slot. If you can apply a light tension to the cables at the bottom it will help to pull them straight. It is normally not a problem.

That's good news, I was worried that I had opened a gap in the strong winds And whilst the gap was open the cables had escaped...once I can get them to slip back into their groove with tension, as you suggested, that will be a good start...

I am a bit reluctant to just rely on tension to hold them in place.

If I can get them in... perhaps I will try to pull/push something up to keep the cables grouped and therefore collectively too large to fit out through the slot.

 

[pandos]

It seems to me from your description that the Ali(?) extrusion which forms the mast track and cover for the cables is fitted in sections just pushed together and that the bottom extrusion and perhaps ones further up have dislodged and slipped down leaving a gap where the wires have come out. If that is the case you amy be able to tension the wires o bring them back into line and force the extrusions back up into place. Just a thought ol'will

There are aren't any extrusions out of place, VYV has identified the issue, but perhaps I can find some thing that I can slip up inside the slot to prevent further escapes.

 

[doug748]

I have some archive material about this:

Older Selden masts had open side conduits to take mast wires, accessed through the mast track. Wires if c 8mm could generally be pushed into place but smaller wires needed to be made fatter by wrapping tape around them at intervals. Or, much easier, pushing foam bungs into the gap.

There was an insertion tool which was made from 1.6mm round bar. It was made from a c7in length with the final c1in bent at 90 deg - but with a slight curve to this one inch. This helped prod the foam pads into place.

.

 

[vyv_cox]

My Sadler had the antenna and wind instrument cables taped together. Stopped the cables coming out but inconvenient when I wanted to replace the antenna one.

 

[pandos]

I have some archive material about this:

Older Selden masts had open side conduits to take mast wires, accessed through the mast track. Wires if c 8mm could generally be pushed into place but smaller wires needed to be made fatter by wrapping tape around them at intervals. Or, much easier, pushing foam bungs into the gap.

There was an insertion tool which was made from 1.6mm round bar. It was made from a c7in length with the final c1in bent at 90 deg - but with a slight curve to this one inch. This helped prod the foam pads into place.

.

This all make sense now....one set of my cables I taped together at intervals like those I removed... And the other set I left loose as I was concerned to be able to replace them individually if needs be.

I will need to devise some means of getting something into these slots and pushing / pulling them up along the mast.

I will take out the mast gate and have a look, I am imagining some foam/sponge packers, well doused with silicone, tied to nylon fishing line pulled to up along the mast with the halyard.

 

[Praxinoscope]

I’m trying to find the relevant documentation (Kemp/Seldon) that advises using closed cell foam ‘pellets’ inserted in the channel to prevent the wires ‘leaking’ into the sail slider channel. I think they do supply a special tool for this but basically it is simple to fabricate, not sure how easy it would be to do this with the mast erected, I did it with the mast down about 4 years ago and the wires have stayed firmly in place.
If I find the doc’ I’ll add it to this post.

 

[BabaYaga]

Foam pads is the way to go.
No need to slide them along, they can be pushed through the gap and will expand inside the conduit. One pad every 0.8 m or so. A tool is easily made by bending a cheap coffee spoon into a suitable shape.

 

[Praxinoscope]

Following on from my earlier post #9, if you go on the Support.Seldonmast com and look for Running Cables document 595-557-E pdf dated 2016-01-18 it gives all the info on using closed cell foam inserts.

 

[pandos]

Following on from my earlier post #9, if you go on the Support.Seldonmast com and look for Running Cables document 595-557-E pdf dated 2016-01-18 it gives all the info on using closed cell foam inserts.

That is very useful, thanks.

Given the reference to "sliding the wires along the track using a small screwdriver, " I think will be able to put something into the track at the mast gate and draw it upwards from outside (but within the sail groove) , or push it upwards using a fiberglass tent pole or the like. Pieces of those dehydrated sponges which are found in liferafts, might be perfect.

Much will depend on the access where the mast gate is. If it becomes necessary I might retain a child (25 year old) to go up the mast..