Need help on wiring in a spreader light!

[rick retiree]

After 2 hours of frustration trying to run wiring from breaker panel to existing 2 wire deck connection (which I am going to replace with a 4 wire connector)to the mast light on my 2001 X I just cant find a chase. Can anyone out there give me a clue. As always many thanks.


ModsNote:
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[Chinook]

It's not easy. When I ran the antenna cable from the fixed VHF (mounted next to the breaker panel on my 2002 X, port side of the companion way) I was installing to the mast step, I took this route. First, I pulled several of the round, flat plugs in the cabin overhead liner, on the port side between the mast step and the port side joint (where the top and bottom halves of the interior sections meet). I fished a length of flexible wire down from a hole I drilled in the deck next to the mast step (for running the cable up the mast) across the cabin ceiling liner to one of the plug holes, and the pulled a string back out. I then used a large washer, string, and heavy magnet to drag a pull line from the plug hole down to the seam. It was difficult, but could be done. I recall the angle changes where the cabin "steps" out in width were especially hard. Once down to the seam it got easier. I simply slipped the cable up inside the upper fiberglass liner panel, and ran it inside the outward curling edge. It had to be slightly exposed when running past the reinforcing rib that arches down at the galley. By running a short way past the galley i got close to a black plastic cover plate attached to the overhead liner above the port side of the aft berth. With that plate removed and the styrofoam floatation blocks pulled out, I was able to get ahold of the cable and route it back to my radio installation location. If you wanted to run down to the battery box location, you would have to run down from the interior liner seam to the top of the galley counter. I have a dish rack built in at the back of the counter and against the hull, which provides a good route for concealing a cable between seam and counter.

It's a challenge, but is doable. Good luck.

[Catigale]

I used a proper fish tape to pull through the ceiling - it was tough to do and hard to describe the technique

I was really proud of getting an unbroken VHF cable up to the mast , then promptly cut it with the hole saw putting in my Nicro Vent

[socalmacer]

I ran some wire previously on my Mac 25 and didn't wrap the wire in foam or something to deaden the sound and it was horrible when anchored. The wire banging around inside the mast was almost as bad as halyrds not properly tied off! Anyway just thought I would mention this.

On my 25 I recall using the old wire to pull to fish the new wire through.

Good luck...

[Zoran]

I partially rewired my X and installed a new panel. When running wires through the ceiling channels I removed all white plastic plugs and I was pulling cable in stages (straight line-turn-straight line etc). Fish tape is necessary. After each stage I will leave the loop outside the last opening and run the cable through the next stage until I reach the final destination. When I am completely finished I will pull in the loops. When I tried to do it in longer section cable will always get stuck somewhere at the turn. In your case I would solder new cable to the existing and try pulling it in but not from the very end, rather in stages from the point that is closest (where you can reach the old cable) to the plug and than step at a time. If that does not work, abandon old cable and wire in the new one.

Zoran

[Catigale]

In the mast the trick is to put a zip tie every foot on the wire which will keep it from banging inside. Dont cut the tail off the zip tie of course.

[Retcoastie]

SoCalMacer

I have heard an easy way to correct in-mast wire noise is to take three or four cable ties and put them tightly around the wires every couple feet, making sure the bitter ends are pointing in different directions. This makes a little spider like bundle with the feet pointing out at the mast walls, holding the wires away from the mast wall. It is light, easy to move, will work around bolts and rivets, and cheap.

Good luck.

[midget]

rick- if you have an X, you might want to check out Heath's "Rewiring" pics in the MOD section of the site. It'll be under Electrical.

[Dimitri-2000X-Tampa]

There's my spreader light.



I rewired my whole mast and I remember a few pains in the a$$ running the wires through the mast. In the holes where the wires come out of the mast, I had to put some string, then catch it with fish tape. once I had all the strings through and attached to the respective wires, then I pulled the whole bunch through and out pops each wire out its respective hole. I had put the ties every foot or two and I also tied the harness up at the top to an anchor light bolt.

What I did at the boat to mast connection is run a whole new 4 conductor deck connector in addition to the existing 2 conductor (stock steaming light) and a connector for the vhf antenae. This is because I wanted to add 3 new lights. A new steaming light which has a foredeck spotlight also (the steaming light attaches to the original wire and the spotlight attaches to the new 16 gauge wire). The second new light is the spreader light which illuminates the cockpit, and the third new light is an anchor light at the top of the mast. The fourth wire is the common ground wire for all the new lights (I crimped additional wires to the ground where they came out for bow spot, spreader, and anchor light). It is connected to a different panel than the original steaming light so I didn't want to mix the grounds between the two panels.

Inside the boat, there were those white caps everwhere. I just removed every 4th one or so on that port side track where the companion way hatch slides. You just fish a bit at a time starting the wire where the panel is. After you fish it through that track, then you turn slightly to get into that channel where the chainplates are and the stock wires run down into the lower hull. From there it is easy to run to the mast via the ceiling. It takes about 4-5 segments of fishtape pulling to get it all the way there. That part wasn't too hard, only took about 30 mins if I remember correctly. What was harder was putting all the switches in there by the mast because there is not much clearance so it pulls the wires out of the connectors when you bend them to fit the ceiling area. But I finally got them all in there and its a nice clean installation having the swiches flush mounted in the ceiling near the mast. There are three switches for the new lights, plus they are controlled by a main in the second panel (I installed a second panel for all the new gadgets (new lights, audio/video, water pump) and left the original one in. I got all the exact same type reddog switches as stock so everything matches.

[tangentair]

Something to try if you have a hollow mast without any flotation foam is to tie a light string like dental floss to a small cotton ball cover all the other openings with duct tape and use a vacuum cleaner to bring it out where you want it. Cotton ball will not work if interior surfaces are rough, have it use something similar like cheap round plastic toy.
Of course, a flat electrician's fish tape will work when you have one. I have some flat spring steel bearing surfaces that I have used to go up the sides; they are thinner than the fish tape and seem to bend easier.
I tried to run a snake down the center of the 's cabin ceiling without success so I just ran everything along the side and then up where I needed it. I keep meaning to attach the wire as it constantly falls out of the "built in" trough.