Anchor light trouble now.....

[Perithead]

Well, yestarday I went up the mast. It was tough getting to the top, even though I had my girlfriend winch me up there, I had to help out lifting my own body weight ALOT. But, i got there.

Once I did get up there, I noticed a few problems. For one, there were no wires! Oh no.... Second, the mounting holes for the old anchor light (that was never there) were not far enough apart to mount my new light. So I thought great, back to sailnet to figure this one out.

I think getting the wire down the mast will probably be my biggest challenge. Where the existing wires come out at the bottom, its pretty hard to get your hand or anything in there so that will be tough. I think I should just go to the top with alot of wire and just feed it down it right? I just hope it doesnt get caught.

As for the holes, the piece that the light mounts to looks like it will come of if I just loosen two screws, then I could take it down and mount my might before I bring it back up. I though about that when I was up there but wasnt sure if I should leave that piece off for a week.

So, if anyone has any tricks or suggestions they could give to make my life easier I would appreciate it.

Oh, one more thing. When I was at the base of the mast about to ascend I looked up it and noticed that near the top, it is bent back a slight amount, but it ooks like it is supposed to be. Is that assumption true? Lord I hope so.

[Freesail99]

Why not use a Davis Anchor light for the time being or until you need to pull the mast. I just bought one for about $45.00 and it can be hung anywhere in the rigging when needed. If you need to wire the mast I see problems getting the wire down and into the cabin. But then again, I always see problems with wires.

[Rockter]

Per...

If there are no wires visible at the mast top, then life will be very difficult. Classically, if you have a wire (or two) running to the masthead, and you need some more, then tape TWO wires onto the existing wiring and pull them down the mast from the mast foot, then use the extra one to retrieve the first wiring back to masthead.

Feeding wires down a mast, feeehand, is likely to drive you insane.

My own mast is lined with foam strip to stop the wires rattling.

Some owners use a steel strip snake and run it along the mast.

Often you have to drop the mast.

[Perithead]

Well, there is the VHF atenna wire up there that I guess I could use to pull some through?

[sailingdog]

Generally, I'd recommend running a messenger line down the mast before trying to run wire in it... Then you can use the messenger line to pull the wire up the mast, which means you can leave the heavy spool of wire down on the deck and save whoever has to haul your butt up the mast some weight.

Take the piece off...since working on making the light fit it is easier on solid ground than in a bosun's chair. Just take a roll of duct tape up with you when you go to remove and tape over the opening... No water will get in then.

Free's got a good temporary solution... hanging a Davis Megalight or something similar in the rigging or from the boom would work as a stopgap measure.

As for the mast bend...it would help if you posted photos of it.

[SVDistantStar]

Ive got a mega light ran up the backstay on my Pearson. Its wired into the anchorlight switch. Its been working great for me for months now. I will be installing a proper LED anchorlight at the masthead once the mast comes down.

[Harvester]

Ok. I can only help you regarding the wiring a new cable line in the mast (and pulling it out in the base). Basically, it is similar to what Sailingdog said.

I think it is much easier to drop the cable down than pulling it up. If you pull it up and it gets stuck at some point, you can loose the cable and find yourself just pulling up the messenger line alone.

So what I did once was:

1. Drop a messenger line down with a plumb at the end (so it helps it go down).

2. Once it is down (your girl friend can hear the plumb hiting the base of the mast) you prepare a wire with a hook at the end, with a narrow angle, so it can come in and out the small hole in the mast base. More or less the shape is the same as if you take one of those office clips and streighten up all the curves except one (an office clip wouldn't make it, though, because it is too short -I hope I make myself clear and sorry if I don't-).

3. You introduce the wire hook from outside in the base of the mast and try to bring it out with the hooked messenger line.

4. Then you tie a second messenger line and pull it up from the top.

5. You attach the actual cable to the second messenger line at the top. I tie the messenger line around the cable in a spiral, with a know here and there. And then cover it with tape (not much more than one layer)

6. And you slide the cable down. So from the base you only use the messenger line to direct and to maintain some tension, not to actually pull the cable.

(Jez, that was a long explanation...)

Good luck!

[timebandit]

Just maybe, if you are real lucky you will find the original wires are just waiting for you when you pull off the cap.
Maybe.
You might be able to find them using a set of magic fingers and groping around below the cap.
Do be sure to pull the fuse before working up there first.