I just bought a 1980 cape dory 25... Though the boat is in great shape, the wiring design from the mast through the deck seems less than perfect. The current set up has the running and deck light connections smashed between the foot of the mast and the stainless deck plate it bolts to. The VHF Cable leads out forward of the mast to a different through deck opening and seems less than optimal. Any suggestions for changing the layout to allow the wiring and VHF to come from the mast through the deck without being crushed and without weakening the mounting plate? Please help... Thanks
Seacliff2@aol.com
*CD 25* Mast Wiring on the CD25?
Moderator: Jim Walsh
-
Arenius, (Virginia), CD26
Re: *CD 25* Mast Wiring on the CD25?
Have not seen where someone installed cabling between the mast end and mounting plate before.....
Drill two small holes on one side of the mast (say about 4 inches up from the baseplate). The size of the holes to be the smallest which will take both the cable diameter AND a protection hole grommet. One hole for the VHF, the other for the running lights. If your mast is down, you may also want to install "spiders" to retain the wiring in the mast to keep the wiring from slapping (noise) from side to side. Although "spiders" are commerically available, I used simple ty-raps.
I tied a rope onto the cable ends at the mast base. I then pulled out my cables thru the mast head to install the wire retainers. This pulls the rope thru the mast (following the cables) which I use later to reinstall the cables. I tied typ-raps around the combined cables every 3 feet of vertical height. Thru each of those ty-raps I looped another ty-rap and left a 1/2" diameter ty-rap loop. I then cut off the excess ty-rap on each. What I am left with is two interlocked ty-rap loops, one of which also clamps the cable bundle. I then pulled my cables back into the mast with the rope. As I pull, I inserted just the head of the second ty-rap into the INTERNAL channel of the mast. The cable bundle is then held against the internal channel and will not slap around. This saves wear on the cabling as well as being quiet under sail and anchor. I use an additional ty-rap around the VHF cable where it exits the top of the mast as a strain relief for the vertical weight of the mast cable. A hole grommet is also installed there for cable protection.
If you already have inline connectors/cable deck seal fittings, you are all set. If not you should install some (weather proof. An alternative is deck receptacles/plug combinations. Both will allow quick and easy disconnection for mast removal times.
Dana Arenius
arenius@jlab.org
Drill two small holes on one side of the mast (say about 4 inches up from the baseplate). The size of the holes to be the smallest which will take both the cable diameter AND a protection hole grommet. One hole for the VHF, the other for the running lights. If your mast is down, you may also want to install "spiders" to retain the wiring in the mast to keep the wiring from slapping (noise) from side to side. Although "spiders" are commerically available, I used simple ty-raps.
I tied a rope onto the cable ends at the mast base. I then pulled out my cables thru the mast head to install the wire retainers. This pulls the rope thru the mast (following the cables) which I use later to reinstall the cables. I tied typ-raps around the combined cables every 3 feet of vertical height. Thru each of those ty-raps I looped another ty-rap and left a 1/2" diameter ty-rap loop. I then cut off the excess ty-rap on each. What I am left with is two interlocked ty-rap loops, one of which also clamps the cable bundle. I then pulled my cables back into the mast with the rope. As I pull, I inserted just the head of the second ty-rap into the INTERNAL channel of the mast. The cable bundle is then held against the internal channel and will not slap around. This saves wear on the cabling as well as being quiet under sail and anchor. I use an additional ty-rap around the VHF cable where it exits the top of the mast as a strain relief for the vertical weight of the mast cable. A hole grommet is also installed there for cable protection.
If you already have inline connectors/cable deck seal fittings, you are all set. If not you should install some (weather proof. An alternative is deck receptacles/plug combinations. Both will allow quick and easy disconnection for mast removal times.
Dana Arenius
arenius@jlab.org
-
Bill Macklin
Re: *CD 25* Mast Wiring on the CD25?
Can't imagine why the wiring should be routed that way. Just rewired the mast on my 1982 CD25D H/N 62, and replaced all of the lights and the VHF antenna at the same time. Inside the mast is an extruded channel which takes sail slugs. To these we tie wrapped the electrical and VHF wires. I previously had multiple electrical wires coming out of holes in the base of the mast but I changed to a single weatherproof multi-pin right angle connector (vertical coming through the deck then a right angle). The electrical wires for anchor light, steaming light and foredeck light all come out of a single grommeted and silicone sealed hole about 4" from the base of the mast. The new VHF cable comes out of a separate grommeted and sealed hole. The reemaining holes from the old installation were sealed with silicon sealer. So far I haven't had a bit of a problem from either rain or saltwater.Douglas McMullin wrote: I just bought a 1980 cape dory 25... Though the boat is in great shape, the wiring design from the mast through the deck seems less than perfect. The current set up has the running and deck light connections smashed between the foot of the mast and the stainless deck plate it bolts to. The VHF Cable leads out forward of the mast to a different through deck opening and seems less than optimal. Any suggestions for changing the layout to allow the wiring and VHF to come from the mast through the deck without being crushed and without weakening the mounting plate? Please help... Thanks
mack22@gte.net