Mast wires

[JD-MDR]

Does anyone have any ideas what to do with these wires? My inflated dinghy fits nicely there but the transom rubs and frays these wires. I'm trying to think of a way to protect them. Thanks

[John Stone]

Well, no one has commented. So I'll offer my view. I have no wiring at all in the mast of the Far Reach.

Get rid of the wires in your mast. I don't think there is any need for a VHF antenna on top of your mast--put it on the stern pulpit. Putting it on the mast is a choice not a necessity. I think running lights are more effective at or slightly above deck level and not 50' above the water. You don't need spreader-lights. They ruin your night vision. Better to use a headlamp. Hang your anchor-light, be it kerosene or 12v, in the rigging about 8' above your deck. Like running lights it is more effective there.

Approached as such you can eliminate all the wiring inside the mast. It makes the mast quieter, saves weight, and eliminates complexity.

It is easy to complicate our boats. It takes a lot of thinking and work to keep a them simple. As L. Francis Herreshoff so rightly observed--"Simplicity afloat is the surest guarantee of happiness."

[JD-MDR]

Hi John, Thanks for the input, I agree I don't like spreader lights. I don't have them just the stock steamer /deck lite combo.. I replaced the antennae and wires and put a tri color light atop the mast. I worry about the running lights so low at deck level. In nice weather they're ok but in big swells I feel better up high. But I don't know I've been tempted to try to contact a ship and ask them. how visible I am, on radar also. I don't have any reflector or any other aids just my eyes and ears. Anyway the wires are there to stay I probably need to have some kind of chock to hold my inflatable transom clear of the wires. Some times its nice to carry it inflated if I know I'm going ashore

[Nebe]

a VHF antenna on the mast will have a much longer range than one on the stern rail. Have you considered making a wooden box that would protect them? or a transom mount for your dinghy to keep it off the wires? id make a dinghy mount.

[JD-MDR]

That's what I meant by chocks for mounting. But then again I don't want any more holes .I was thinking of making some type of fiberglass cover to protect the wires.

[John Stone]

JD,
Copy. There is no one right way. Just the way that works for you. Do what makes you feel most comfortable. A lot of it is a mind game anyway—for everyone to some degree or another. I can say this though. I don’t think you should count on anyone seeing you visually. I figure the best thing is for you to see them. Half the time I don’t think there is anyone on the bridge of the big ships. A trawler might see you. Maybe. However, any interior light on in the wheelhouse or on deck and they can’t see past their own illumination circle. As far as the big ships, if someone is on the bridge I would be surprised if he or she is looking attentively for sailboats.

Your best bet at sea to avoid being run over are your own eyes or probably AIS if you are transmitting vice just receiving. Luck, is good too.

A VHF antenna on the mast head will give you more range. But how far do you need to be able to talk? And as long as one ship’s antenna is up high you will have great range. I have talked to ships 15-20 miles away on my hand held. They have an antenna 100’ in the air so we have line of sight.

I fly a radar reflector offshore. I think it helps though not sure how much. When I see ships I like to call them and ask them if they see me. They usually reply with, “Let me see ... (wait 2-3 min). Yes I can see you on radar.” I have had them tell me they can see my kero running lights ... after I have asked.

Bottom line is that if you can sleep without too much worry and you arrive at your destination safely without endangering yourself or anyone else then you are probably in good shape.

Dinghy chocks are a great addition.

[JD-MDR]

I don't do a lot of talking on the radio but I depend on It for weather forecast.

[Frenchy]

A possible route to go might be drilling a hole through the mast step. The connections would be made say a foot
above deck level and the wires stuffed inside the mast as it is stepped. The through hole could have a standpipe
epoxied in that stands a few inches above deck level to shed water. Also, the wires could be caulked where they
exit the standpipe.
The practicality of this would depend on what's under the mast step in the interior and what kind of a lead
you can give the wires below. My old Cal 27 had a set up like this. - Jean

[JD-MDR]

That would be ideal. There is another 30K here, his wires come out same as mine Maybe there is a reason they didn't do it like that. I'm gonna go back to Nigel's u tube ,replacing that big iron mast step support and maybe He did something better.Anyway I can't afford any of that now. Once I get the dodger the dinghy may not fit there but that's a year or two away.

[John Stone]

You can attach chocks without drill holes through the deck. Place the chock on the deck. Drill through holes into the deck with small diameter bit. Remove the chock. Use an oversized fostner bit and drill through the upper skin and into the core. Don’t penetrate the inside skin. Slightly dig out core from under the edge of the upper skin. Pour in unthicked epoxy and let it cure. Redrill with proper size bit and tap threads into the epoxy with a blind tap. I have also done this by installing a small piece of G10 or even a bronze nut. Now you can mount the hardware without worry about water leaking into the boat or the core.

This technique is not appropriate if backing plates are required. I would not recommend backing plates on chocks though.

Here is a link to installing and tapping G10 plugs into the deck of the Far Reach.
https://farreachvoyages.wordpress.com/2 ... /#more-821

[hilbert]

I lean towards John's thinking to minimizing mast wiring.
Also, the slapping of wires inside the mast at anchor is annoying (I know that there are ways of dealing with this too).

Having said that. I will still run one small cable for the white steaming light about halfway up the mast.
I'm going to put a tube for wiring through the center of the mast step as was done on the S/V FeNIX:


http://www.sbastro.com/FeNIX/mainFrameSet.htm

I mounted an 8 ft VHF antenna on the support that I built for solar panels.

[Steve Laume]

Raven has radar, masthead light, and VHF wires, securely fastened within the mast, that all penetrate the deck, forward of the mast. It looks like the ketch has the mast stepped, slightly, farther forward but this would still be a possibility.

The mast step tube makes for a very clean solution. I doubt if the yard guys like it very much.

As much as I like my hard dinghy, I carry an inflatable any where it is not safe to tow. I don't feel that my boat is big enough to safely accommodate a hard dinghy on deck, Steve.

[JD-MDR]

I found the article. Its Paul Calder"s "mild steel rusting away at mast support". I looks like that his wires come out aft of the mast same as mine. My boat just had cables coming out the deck with calking .When I got the boat it was leaking. I put those thru deck cable seal things on. I stopped the leak. After reading Pauls article Its worrisome to think what my mast support could be like. I'm gonna try not to think about it for a few years.

[hilbert]

There is rectangular ~5" x 2" mild steel in the deck to give support to the mast.
I wouldn't be surprised if many boats have had some water intrusion over the years, through the wiring holes or bolts used to secure the mast step.
From the posts on this board, it doesn't seem to be an area that has caused much concern.

[Astronomertoo]

I too do not like adding extra wires in the mast, but found a small foredeck light handy for docking and anchoring in the dark. In my case I did not like the limited coverage of a forehead lamp.
I have not done crossing of heavy freighter traffic in my own sailboats, but as crew (electronics tech) I have crossed the stream between Florida and the Bahamas many times, and stood both visual and radar watch on a 125 ft research vessel, in good and bad seas. We had 2 good radars, and as a smaller boat sailor, I have checked the response from sailboats with and without radar corner reflectors, or "Blippers", and there is a vast difference in reflectance and visibility compared to a bare mast. On a rough night the difference is more than obvious, and if I were travelling, and sleeping I would want the reflector.
There is more to the discussion on VHF antennas. Look up and compare radiating signal strength curves for 3 db and 6 db antennas. I believe in carrying a longer 6 db high quality antenna at the rear of the boat, down low, like on a vertical support or stern rail for an alternate in case of loss of the primary 3 db mast head sailboat antenna, due to lightening or other failure. The draw back on the 6 db power boat type antenna is when a sailboat heels over you are radiating more of your power into the water. When motoring on a calm day you can send and receive better than with the 3 db masthead antenna. I have always had both connectors near the rear of the primary VHF radio, for changing the antenna if needed, and an adaptor for the handytalkie as well.
One of the best improvements you can do for your communications is to buy the larger professional coax cable, with better shielding and much lower loss, than the cheap stuff most boats are provided with. The difference in signal is huge.
Best wishes, and fair sailing.
Bob C