Jeanneau SO 50DS with exposed electric cables at foot of mast

[SandySpit]

After the few hours of sailing on my new Jeanneau SO 50DS, I discovered that electric cables at the foot of the mast were receiving damage during tacking from the Genoa sheets. I made a temporary repair to stop water entering the cables. Some string was also used to provide temporary protection during tacking.

Is this the normal way Jeanneau pass their electric cables from the mast through the top deck. I would have expected a conduit inside the mast or a curved stainless steel tube next to the foot of the mast (as seen on some other sailing boats).

I would be very interested to know how other Jeanneau boats have their cables fed from their mast through their top-deck.

Thanks

[deandavis1]

the commission yard is about to drill mine through tomorrow morning. It is going through the same way as per your picture. now I am concerned.

[kd3pc]

Engineers?? I guess they don't use them any more, or at least ones that have sailed the boat..

Were it me, I would have made (or make) a fiberglass shroud that would straddle the area, and mount to the two eyelets on either side of the area...where you currently have the protective line attached.

They should have done something similar, or else as you have found, things will wear rapidly

[rbarkas]

Originally Posted by SandySpit

Is this the normal way Jeanneau pass their electric cables from the mast through the top deck. I would have expected a conduit inside the mast or a curved stainless steel tube next to the foot of the mast (as seen on some other sailing boats).

I would be very interested to know how other Jeanneau boats have their cables fed from their mast through their top-deck.

Thanks

Sandy - Do you know if the cables were routed as shown by the factory or by the people who did the commissioning?

I'm asking because a local newish 42I has all mast cables run down through the mast step - into the mast support tube in the cabin and out the bottom through the bilge to their final destination. Selden mast provides for this method of running cables so I don't understand why the factory would design it as on your boat.

I understand that a 42I is a different animal than a 50DS but I agree with you that the way it has been done doesn't look right.

Also interesting that one of the through deck seals is a different kind than all the others. Wouldn't think any factory would have done that.

[Gene T]

Looks the same as as my 1999 SO40.

Gene

[mitiempo]

I think it would be commissioning not the factory. But I wouldn't want so many holes even if they were not a liability during tacking. My boat originally had multiple holes but I eliminated then and used this:
Salty John: Cableport and other fine boat products.
It is easy to add wires afterwards even vhf with connectors attached and totally leakproof.

[SandySpit]

The cables were run during commisioning. Although I didn't give it much thought when I purchased the boat, I was expecting the cables to be run through the mast support tube as described by rbarkas for the 42I.

Has anybody else experienced problems with this set-up ?

Gene T, was this not a problem on your boat ?

Interesting idea mitiempo with Salty John, but it would still leave the cables exposed exiting the mast (which is where they received damage).

[Gene T]

No problem. The Jeanneau is designed this way with access below deck to that cable bump. It would be an OK idea to make an aluminum housing to go over it however as I worry more about sun exposure than anything else.

Gene

[sailingdog]

This is a really stupid way to do it... it makes it very likely that someone will step on the cables while working at the mast... A single standpipe type through-deck connection would have made more sense and provided protection for the cabling from the genoa.

Also, I don't see a protective rubber grommet over the aluminum mast edges in any of the holes. That alone is a good sign of a bad installation—especially around the two black wires exiting on the port side upper hole.

There should have at least been a stainless steel guard over the area to prevent the genoa or feet from damaging the wiring. Something like what you'd find over a properly installed dorade cowl vent.

[tomaz_423]

I saw this cable arrangement on several European production boats and I think it is a bad design. A simple protective cover (stainless or aluminum) would solve the problem easily.