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i started the process of running my halyards internally. i had to drill some openings in the top of the mast since it was solid. once i got my holes drilled i tried get a snake down the mast to pull some string through. i couldn't get too far so i decided to try from the bottom of the mast. i noticed taped to the inside of the was a string. i figured the p.o. had run the string in case he wanted to pull some extra wires in the future. no such luck. turns out the string was tied to a piece of foam stuffed about 6' up the mast. in back of that about 15' up was another piece of foam with a string. pulled both of those out and noticed a smaller piece of foam located approx. near the spreaders. tried the snake again and after about 20 min was able to get it down the mast. i was able to snake down 3 strings to pull the three halyards down later.
if i can get the halyards down and they run pretty smooth, should i leave the foam near the spreaders in the mast. i was thinking i could get some threaded rod and rod couplers and basically make a 40' piece of threaded rod and force the foam out the bottom.
also, if i take all the foam out, is there a change of the internal wires slapping against the mast?
if that may happen i was thinking of taping pieces of armaflex tubing together and sliding then over the wiring and up the mast. the picture shows copper pipe in the armaflex. this wouldn't be there only the armaflex.