Mast wiring 28

[Northoceanbeach]

At the bottom of the mast, inside the boat, I have a wooden plate that covers a hole. There are a couple of wires in there, maybe from the v berth cabin lighting, but then there is a fiberglass plate. Is there anyway to remove this fiberglass plate so I can have access to the wires? I want to go up the mast and drop some cables down but I don't how to get them out.

When I saw the screws in the wooden plate I thought for sure all my problems were solved. I thought I would be able to see straight up there. But no. Blocked by a huge fiberglass plate. Is there anyway around this?

[Steve Laume]

I think you are right about there being a huge FG plate above the teak access plate. It is the coach roof! The teak plate covers the hole in the cabin liner and then there is an air space before the outer layer. There is no direct route up through the mast in this deck stepped configuration. Any wiring in the mast needs to exit the mast before it reaches the mast step and then enter the boat through a penetration in the cabin top. I like the Blue Sea clam connectors for these penetrations but there are also lesser connectors, goose necks or just some gunk in the hole around the wires as options. The wires usually enter the boat just forward of the mast and then the connections are made behind the teak access plate. For my radar, I ran the wire along the overhead to a shielded connection box in the head area. One other thing to consider is that when you drill the holes for the wires , you will be going through an embedded steel reinforcement for the mast step. This thing is tuff so be prepared with a sharp drill bit, Steve.

[John Ring]

When I did mine years ago, I went in through the side of teak dorade box nearest the mast, then down the vent inside the box. This got the wires inside, and saved me from cutting/drilling the cabin top & structure.

John

[Keith]

Hi John,

What did you do with the wires between the base of the mast and the dorade box? Isn't that a trip point and a way to damage the wires?


Note to all: If you drill through the steel plate make sure that you clean up all of the chips that blow over the cabin top and deck. I thought that I had got them all but in the following weeks I found these mysterious rust spots on the deck and cabin top. They compounded out pretty easily but it took me a while to figure where they came from. Food for thought

[Neil Gordon]

>>What did you do with the wires between the base of the mast and the dorade box? Isn't that a trip point and a way to damage the wires?<<

I've had my 28 for about 20 years, and would guess that I've never stepped between the dorade box and the mast. There's not much room there.