All, As one of my boat projects this spring I am replacing the electrical wiring in my mast. The mast is currently down (horizontal) so now is the time to do it. I want to secure the wires in the mast, in particular to reduce noise (when rocking at anchor). Wisper is a 1981 C&C 34 with a keel stepped mast and 5 internal halyards in addition to the wires. The cables are for wind instruments, masthead and steaming lights, VHF coax, and radar (power and communication) so it will be a substantial bundle with a separate drop at the spreader. The two approaches I am considering are:
1) Creating a bundle (wiring harness) of the cables and placing 3 large cable ties on the bundle at perhaps 2 or 3 foot intervals with the tails sticking out at 120 deg angles that will bend over and press against the mast and keep the cables in the middle. I would use Panduit metal barb outdoor zip ties which are robust, smooth edged, and long lasting. 2) Installing a PVC conduit (using rivets?) with a feeder line for the cables and then running the cables through it. There is support of both methods in various forums online. Cable ties are definitely the simpler method. The main advantages to the conduit that I see is being able to run an additional wire through it at a later time potentially with the mast up. Also I might be able to run cables from top to bottom so that a large connector can remain preinstalled on the top (for example for the radar unit) rather than needing to feed everything in to the bottom at once and then fishing the ends out the various small holes in the mast and reattaching connectors. The disadvantage is the effort required to install it and the additional holes I would need to create in the mast. I am also unsure how quiet either solution would be and the relative chance of tangling or extra friction or wear on a halyard although most info on-line seems to indicate that the conduit is the better choice for that. With the conduit approach, I am also debating if two smaller conduits - one to the spreader and one to the mast head - would make more sense than having a hole in large conduit at the spreader location. Has anyone done either of these securing approaches? What are your thoughts on the success? How much does it silence the cables? Is the effort for the conduit worth it? Thanks, Nathan Post S/V Wisper 1981 C&C 34 CB Lynn MA, USA
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