Mast Wiring

[Gregg]

As I work on fixing the mast step I also plan to sort out the wiring. Currently I have 3 wires (radio, lights, instruments) from different holes all getting connected above the deck.

My plan is to run new wires in the mast (I have a short I can't isolate up there, so new wiring seems to be the next step) and make them longer - devise some sort of fitting for the deck, then connect them in the trunk that appears to be hollow in front of the bulkhead.

Any thoughts on this?

Any suggestions on a good watertight fitting that will allow wires to go below? (Right now the plan is some sort of elbow piece similar in concept to how LX wires come into a house.)

Thanks,

Gregg

[dave]

I've never found one that was truly waterproof: As always with balsa or plywood core, drill a hole size larger than what's being mounted there, only to the inner skin. Fill this hole with epoxy/high density filler and then redrill to the wanted size after curing. No more leaking into the core even if the fitting DOES leak.

[Tim Bosma]

On 477, we do not have radio or steaming light on the mast, so we have only 2 wires: Anchor light and Ground. We have spliced a 2-pole trailer pigtail to the wires below and have a Perko through deck to bring the plug up on deck. Then we filled the through deck fitting with silicon. The wires in the mast have a 2-pole spliced onto the as well and the connection is just behind the mast on deck. This gives us easy access to disconnect when dropping the stick. The 3rd picture on the http://hottamaleracing.com cover page shows the connector.

For 457, we plan to have 4 wires in the mast, Anchor, Steaming, Deckflood, and Ground. Plans are to use a similar setup and have a "flat-4" type connector.

The through deck fitting is installed as Dave suggests - larger bore hole, filled with epoxy, drilled out for fitting.