External mast wiring

[knothead]

Here's my situation.
There is a customer in the yard who is restoring a "good find". A Cheoy Lee 32', (I think).
We pulled the stick a few months ago. It had some rot and actually separated just above the step as we were pulling it.
Since then, she has had the mast repaired and we have made all new standing rigging.
She has had her own people working on the project and I haven't spent a lot of time thinking about it.
Today, as she was painting the mast she informed us that she wanted us to run wire for a tri-color, vhf and steaming/deck combo. Problem is the spar is solid. Nowhere for internal wire.

Does anyone have any ideas for a halfway decent looking and effective way to run these wires externally?
All thoughts and suggestions will be gratefully considered and presented to the customer.
Thanks,

Best regards,
Steve Smith

[badsanta]

run all the wire inside a plastic pipe. then install the pipe up the mast.

[Sapperwhite]

Originally Posted by badsanta

run all the wire inside a plastic pipe. then install the pipe up the mast.

then paint the conduit the same color to blend right in.

[sailingdog]

That's probably your only really good choice... you need to have the wires enclosed in a conduit of some sort...

[xsboats]

On a number of old wooden boats with solid wooden masts, I have pulled wire through the sheath of a length of line after removing the core.. It was then seized to an upper shroud with marlin.THe result will blend in with the rigging. Line manufacturers run off lengths of core only and sheath only when changing their machines over from one type of line to another. Contact one or check a marine gear surplus store. Sheath only is sold by the pound and usually equates to about 10-15 cents a foot.

[bubb2]

Knot, a buddy of mine was doing the same thing as you external wiring on a wood mast. We found some stuff called funny pipe at the big box home improvement store. It is used for lawn sprinklers. 3/8 inches. comes in rolls. we got a 50ft roll for $20 it is flexible and no joints that are ugly. Held in place by copper pipe straps and copper wood screws. looked nice enough we did not paint it.

Use this 50' Toro Funny Pipe roll to connect to your sprinkler heads. Provides flexibility to get around obstacles. No glue or clamps needed. Cushions your sprinkler head to protect against damage in high traffic areas.

	Product Details No glue or clamps needed Use instead of PVC risers Flexible pipe makes sprinkler head positioning easy

[knothead]

Thank you all for the replies.
I was thinking that I needed to use a conduit of some sort. I was even thinking along the lines of using a half round wooden thing. Like half of a wooden shroud roller. Might be pretty bulky though.
Maybe if I can talk the owner into having an enclosure built, no one will notice how ugly the mast looks.

[xsboats]

a solid mast can also have a groove routed into the front, wire run in it , and a spline glued in to enclose it.

[knothead]

Originally Posted by xsboats

a solid mast can also have a groove routed into the front, wire run in it , and a spline glued in to enclose it.

I really like that idea. Unfortunately, It's been already been painted and the owner has alienated the guy she had doing the woodwork and I don't feel qualified to do that myself. Certainly would have been a good way to go.

[xsboats]

Where is the mast?