Wooden masts - cables and instruments

[MidlandsOnSea]

With a gunter-rigged boat with wooden spars, one can only run cables outside the mast. I imagine that ends up looking ugly. So, what do folks do if they're inclined to have a wind-instrument and/or a VHF aerial mounted on the mast? Also, with a gunter-rig, where would you mount them? This mast is only for a 22ft boat, which gets unstepped for trailing.

Is it better to simply mount a VHF aerial and wind instruments at deck level?

 

[Swagman]

Guess you've already know this - but are you certain the spar is solid wood and not hollow?
Even if it is - IMHO if you frequently step the mast - you may be better off mounting the antenna on the transom and using a handheld wind instrument as required.
Cheers
JOHN

 

[wrr]

The cable clips often look worse than the cables. One solution is to use copper cable saddles, available for fire-proof cables from large cable distributors, and/or brass P clips, also available from classic car specialists.

 

[Guest]

Sending you a PM.

 

[mainmarine]

you can buy small pine trunking from B&Q, stain it to match your mast, fix it to the side of the mast and run the cables inside it

 

[Phoenix of Hamble]

Have you looked at TackTick wireless instruments?

 

[Bergman]

Could you run the cables down a shroud or stay and have a deck connector at the bottom?

 

[MidlandsOnSea]

Thanks for the thoughts. Special thanks to Smiffy for talking sense into me on the phone earlier. Why am I going to spoil the look of the boat by sticking an antenna and wind instrument on the mast? I guess you can just get caught up in feeling you have to go down the route of using all this kit. Handhelds (radio and for wind) should prove suitable for the sort of trips I'll do.