Through-deck electrical fittings????

[mattlydon]

I'm looking to replace my thru-deck fitting (the one which carries the electrical connections from the mast), as it's fairly old and crusty.

However, as I have my mast down for the winter, I was thinking about adding an anchor light on top, as well as a windex light, as long as I'm running wires.

My problem is, I haven't seen a thru-deck fitting with more than 4 contacts, and I'd need 5 at a minimum -

ground
steaming
Deck
Anchor
Windex

What do you folks with a similar amount of gear up there use?

Matt

[Anthony P. Jeske]

Matt:
Take a look at the Aqua Signal 80100-7. It's a 5 pin connector with a double O-ring seal. I installed one at the mast on my last CD-28 and was very satisfied.
Regards,
Tony

[mgphl52]

Matt:
You might consider a masthead tri-color for sailing.
KAYLA's lights up our windex just dandy!

[Steve Laume]

Look into these puppies. You can get them to run any size wire you want and then go to a terminal block inside the dry cabin area to make your connections. I don't care how good a plug is, if it spends enough time at the base of the mast it is subject to corroded contacts. Those tri colored LED mast head lights are very cool. There is a switch available to cut down on the number of wires required if that is a concern. WWW.sailorssolutions.com has the OGM jobbie for $300.00 with tri color and anchor light. I might pull my mast this winter just to rewire and add one of these babys. LED running lights are high on my list of upgrades this winter, Steve.

[Larry DeMers]

Steve,

I have used this connector for 5 years or so, and it is very good.


http://www.defender.com/expanded.jsp?pa ... &id=680929

It has 5 poles, uses screws for the connection to the cable, is watertight, and is fully protected when the two halves are separated, by virtue of the attached cover. It incorporates a good strain relief and water seal in the male part.

The only thing that I did to the connector before installing it was to coat the pins with a corrosion preventative gel. This IS important, especially in salt, but even up here on Superior, corrosion will get to open metal unless it is protected.

It is available from Defender, for $22.99


Cheers,

Larry DeMers
s/v DeLaMer
CD30 Lake Superior

[barfwinkle]

While I know that there are many different ways to accomplish this task I really like my setup on Rhapsody. It is water tight and does not leak. The wires pass through the deck and then are connected in the area under the wood cover.

Pics are available here:

<a href="http://rhapsodysails.com/mastwire.html">Rhapsody's Mast wire setup</a>

Since these pics were taken I have started using a product called atomic tape to seal both the upper and lower end of the conduit. If I had to do it again, I would use 1 1/4" conduit and the associated fittings just so things wouldn't be as crowded.

JMTCW

Fair Winds

[Mark Yashinsky]

Have the same connector, for about teh same length of time and have had no issues with it. One item to be careful with, watch what cable you use with the plug, the exit hole seems a little small and is round.

[Steve Laume]

On a Danish built motor sailor I used to know they used an inverted U shaped stainless tube. This must be common practice. I suppose it was more like a J. The long leg was sealed and went through the deck. The other end was several inches above the deck and remained open. This boat had tons of freeboard and a high cabin top. The way it worked it that the wires formed a drip loop after exiting the mast and then went up into the tube and curved back down inside the boat to a connection block.

Those plugs look far above anything I have seen or used. If I was pulling my mast every year I would be considering them for sure. The fact that my mast stays in place for several years makes my decision much easier. Those Blue Seas seals do have the advantage of being able to deal with radar and VHF cables as well as other mast wiring. My VHF still connects outside of the hull but if I ever change the cable I will make the connection inside the boat.

There seem to be a good number of ways to take the skin off the ole cat, Steve.

[Ron M.]

I run all my mast wires down the teak dorade vent to a sub panel on the bulkhead in the head. The panel I made of teak with a sliding door, inside are terminal blocks for the dc wires and one for the wind vane. There is also room for the antenna coupling.
Using air conditioner conduit and watertight fittings the wires exit the mast on the port side 8" above the maststep through a 90 degree fitting. Conduit is bent to a 'j' and runs to the starboard side of the dorade through another fitting (straight), and into and down the vent. Inside the wires are run in plastic wire wrap to the panel.
The dorade is attached with 4 ss machine screws into 't' nuts I screwed and epoxied to the fiberglass. Unscrew the the dorade and the wires from their blocks and it stores tied to the mast. No leaks and no smashed wires.
________
H5 transmission

[gates_cliff]

Barfwrinkle, I like you solution for the wiring exiting the mast and the through deck. How big a hole did you have to drill in your mast, and what did you use to drill it?

Thanks

[bottomscraper]

Back many years ago when I was a technician in the Navy I worked with an older engineer who worked on some of the early (pre WWII) radar systems for RCA. I remember him saying "electronics are great except for wires and connectors". At the time we were dealing with large multi-pin connector problems on test equipment in a dry land based shop environment, no salt water involved.

[barfwinkle]

Gates

I am not too sure how big the hole is. I'll have to check it out. I cut it with a hole saw and I would venture it is 1"-1 1/4". But I'll need to check.

Also, I think I have stated this elsewhere, but I needed to use something on the order of 1 1/4" conduit with appropriate sized fittings in the deck and mast. I'll see if I can find the "fine" details.

Fair Winds

[Warren S]

I installed the item Larry shows for the anchor, steaming, deck, and this little baby for the new coax I ran up the mast:

http://content.westmarine.com/images/ca ... 540740.jpg

Very clean and easy installation

[Steve Laume]

I like the simplicity of the Blue Sea, clams as much as the way they function. I plan to change out a couple of more wire penetrations that were merely caulked in place by the PO.

When I pulled the mast and removed the wires this winter I put a blank rubber disk in the clam to seal the opening for the winter. Once I use all the new clams I think I will make up a set of disks to use for future winter stowage times.

Those babies are clean and effective, Steve.

[Daniel Owen]

I eliminated and patched my thru deck wiring penetrations and used the same 3/4" liquidtight conduit as Rhapsody has thru the mast and the dorade box on the horizontal plane. I placed my coax and wiring service loops and connectors inside the dorade box. This is a very clean installation allowing me to plug the old leaky vertical deck penetrations and to get the wiring connections out of the weather.

Cheers.............