Location of Mast wiring/cable connections

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Frank Hand
Posts: 3
Joined: Sat Apr 26, 2014 3:13 pm

Location of Mast wiring/cable connections

Post by Frank Hand »

Does any member know the location of the lower mast connection site for in-mast wiring? (ie mast head/steaming/wind instrument/radar circuits). Needing to lift and remove the deck stepped mast on a Catalina 350 but not sure if the connections (if any) are at the base of the Mast, base of the compression post etc. Would like to know before we begin lifting the mast up!
Any help much appreciated. Frank
Guinevere
Posts: 43
Joined: Sun Oct 28, 2012 5:31 pm

Re: Location of Mast wiring/cable connections

Post by Guinevere »

Frank -

Under the head sink cabinet floor. Lift off panel. Terminal strip for connections are aft rib. Wires come down from mast via conduit forward rib.

Bob
Guinevere
#243
Frank Hand
Posts: 3
Joined: Sat Apr 26, 2014 3:13 pm

Re: Location of Mast wiring/cable connections

Post by Frank Hand »

Thank you Bob. Am I right in assuming that after the mast wires are disconnected from the terminal block they will pull up OK through the conduit when we raise the mast?
Frank
R.B.
Posts: 233
Joined: Fri Jan 20, 2006 2:04 pm
Location: Ontario, Canada

Re: Location of Mast wiring/cable connections

Post by R.B. »

Frank,

Once you have disconnected all wires (lights, wind instrument and VHF antenna), I would tape a retrieving string to the wires, so you can pull them back down the compression post when you re-step the mast. I also lift the mast about a foot up and then pull the wires up the compression post by hand, making sure the wires feed nicely through the post. Disconnect the retrieving line and tie the end of the retrieving line off on the mast step for later use. Then wrap the wires up and stick them in the bottom of the mast so they are out of the way.
Ralph

WOLFHELM
C350 #342
Guinevere
Posts: 43
Joined: Sun Oct 28, 2012 5:31 pm

Re: Location of Mast wiring/cable connections

Post by Guinevere »

Frank -

Yes, once disconnected and per Ralph's suggestion I would tape them to protect connectors and also tape on a light line to pull them back down when re-stepping the mast. Ralph's other suggestion (to pull them out by hand) is spot on as well as the wires can get hung up on the sharp lip of the conduit. Once the wires were out on ours, I used some sandpaper to remove any burrs on the conduit lip.

Also, don't tape all of the connections as one lump. They will be much harder to pull through the conduit. Offset them along the length if you can (e.g. tape the VHF a few inches "up" the light wires).

My wind transducer wires were very fine and had been just cut off by the previous owner and then re-spliced poorly. I found a very nice watertight, inline connector and socket at Digikey.com and have a nice connect/disconnect setup now for the fine transducer wires.

Have fun!
Bob
Guinevere
#243
Frank Hand
Posts: 3
Joined: Sat Apr 26, 2014 3:13 pm

Re: Location of Mast wiring/cable connections

Post by Frank Hand »

Thanks Bob and Ralph. Will give it a try! Frank
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