On Thu, 23 Aug 2007 06:59:51 -0700, terry
wrote:

Westerly 1970s all fiberglass 26 footer. Previous owner replaced mast
and rigging but in the process installed deck mounted connectors (good
quality marine type) for the mast wiring that allowed water to get
into a substantial wooden block buried in the deck under the mast
step. That block is further supported by a stainless steel column
that goes down to the keel.

During winter storage the water soaked wood burst the f.glass deck
around the mast step. It's now all replaced.

Now wondering best way to connect the revamped mast wiring (Approx.
seven wires plus an RG58 coax. for the top of the mast VHF whip).**

Certainly resolved to have any wiring holes and/or mounting screws
well away from the wooden block. Also maybe prefer not to have any
connectors at all?

That would mean poking the bunch of wires from the mast through
something (a caulked hole or gland or ???) in the deck to be, say,
connected individually once per season to a terminal strip in the
toilet ('Head') compartment below. Pondering various alternatives.

Any advice please would be most appreciated.

BTW ** We now have all the nav. lights on the mast rather than lower
down on the hull and cabin sides of the boat. The original (previously
replaced!) stern light for example was for ever getting stepped on and
damaged. The individual cabin side port/starboard lights had long ago
been replaced by a red/green bow pulpit one that also suffered damage
and or got tangled with jib sheets etc. Any comments/advice on this
also appreciated.

If I were you I'd pull all the wiring is it looked at all "old" and
replace it. The RG58 I would replace with low loss cable - ping larry
for details there.

Use a tricolor with an integral anchor light on the mast head and a
motoring light at the spreaders. That should be sufficient.

So, 1 ground, 1 RF coaxial, 4 positive = 6 wires. If you install
spreader lights, which are nice at night, then it is 1 more wire.
Remember that the ground has to carry the return for 4 separate
lights.

Id bring all the wires out the side of the mast just above the foot
and build or buy an inverted "J" shaped electrical entrance fitting
large enough to take all the wires plus the coax fitting. I looked
around but couldn;t find a picture of the entrance fitting but it
would be about a 1-1/4 - 1-1/2 inch stainless "U" fitting with a short
section welded to one leg so it looks like a "J". The longer leg is
welded to a flange and you just bore a hole in the deck, waterproof
the deck core with a bit of epoxy resin and install the fitting with
screws through the flange, using proper marine caulking.

Then when the mast is up you poke the wires through the elbow and down
to a junction box somewhere inside the boat.

Do use proper boat wire, or equipment wire it may be called. Tin
coated copper stranded wire, anyway Costs a bit more and lasts a lot
longer.



..


Bruce in Bangkok
(brucepaigeATgmailDOTcom)