STUBORN MAST WIRE

[randyk]

MY MARINA JUST E-MAILED ME THAT THEY WERE UNABLE TO UNSTEP THE MAST ON MY 1977 CAPE DORY 25 DUE TO ONE OF THE HEAVY WIRES THAT RUNS DOWN THRU THE CENTER OF THE MAST, THEN MAKING AN EXIT AT THE BOW SIDE OF THE BASE OF THE MAST, ONWARD THRU THE CABIN DECK BY A WATERPROOF COMPRESSION FITTING WHICH OFFERS NO ACCESSABLE PLACE TO DISCONNECT. THEY HAD TO LOWER THE TOP OF THE MAST TO SET ON A WOODEN "x" THEY ERECTED AT THE BOW RAIL. THE TOP OF THE MAST IS NOW SUPPORTED BY A 1" DIA LINE FROM THE CEILING OF THE STOREAGE BLDG WITH THE BASE LEFT IN THE TABERNACKLE.
ANYONE KNOWING OR HAVING EXPERIENCE WITH THIS WIRE. BOTH THE MARINA AND I WOULD GREATLY APPRECIATE YOU INPUT.

THANKS

RANDY KIRCHHOFF "QUEST" PORT ST JOE, FLA

[Bill Goldsmith]

Hi Randy,

If the wire is simply powering a light, I would just cut it and install a deck plug fitting when the mast is stepped again. Same with a VHF antenna, there are deck plug fittings specific to VHF coaxial cable. If it's radar, I don't think you can cut it, but others here would know better. In any case the wire should have been installed with the ability to disconnect when unstepping.

[randyk]

THANKS FOR THE INFO. MY 25 IS 310 MILES FROM MY HOME,
HENCE I INSTRUCTED THE MARINA TO TAKE THE MAST DOWN DUE TO A LEAK AT THE MAST BASE. THANKS AGAIN FOR YOUR INPUT.

[Steve Laume]

There should be a wooden plug in the cabin under the mast that can be removed with two screws. There might be a connection there that would allow them to pull the wire. It is hard for me to believe the yard didn't figure out how to deal with the mast wiring, Steve.

[GLutzow]

My CD25 has a connector at the base of the mast for the masthead lighting. Sounds like yours was modified for some reason.

[tartansailor]

I had the same dilemma, and mistakenly cut the cable,
only later to learn that had I pulled cable down
inside the mast, I would have exposed the male/female
connector.

Dick