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Mast head light?

Pete the Cat

Member III
Maybe. I would first check the fixture and change it out for an LED. Work backwards. Much easier to do new wire when the mast is down and put in conduit if you can. The corrosion from fixtures can migrate from the fixture all the way back to the panel over time, so if you have any intermediate connections from the panel (base of mast?), I would check those too. Ocam's Razor.
 

shorty32

Member I
There is a connection at the base of the mast. Any suggestions where i might purchase an LED fixture? Mast is down. I removed the fixture and bulb last fall. It seems really tight inside the mast is that the conduit? Is there anywhere i could get literature or diagrams on how to proceed here?It seems it might be easier to replace all mast wires and both masthead and top light then to have another connection at the base of the mast? Is there a company out there that i could purchase from and might offer some installation tips?
Thanks.
 

Pete the Cat

Member III
I woud definitely put new wire in if the mast is down. This is your chance. Get some nylon cord and pull multiple messenger lines as you pull out the old stuff so you can feed the new wire. Steaming light wire and fixture too if it is old. Not sure if your boat came with a conduit but you should be able to tell from look up the end and see it if it is there. They may have wrapped the wire with foam to keep it from slapping the inside of the mast if you do not have a conduit--this was common in the 70's. You will see this when you pull the old wire out. You can get an all around anchor light from Amazon,you don't need anything fancy. You might be able to get an LED bulb for your current fixture if it is in good shape.
 

Loren Beach

O34 - Portland, OR
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
When we rewired and re-rigged our '88 spar a couple years ago, all (!) of the OEM wiring was questionable. The lenses, bases, and etc on the old fixtures were nearly beyond repair or servicing. Lesson was that this stuff has a design life, and we were beyond it.
Please do this work while it's relatively cheap and easy ..... while the spar is down!
Replace the old coax, too.

We replaced all the sheaves at the top, also.
Ray's advice about running tag lines is spot on, as well.
 

Mark David

Member II
We switched to leds and rewired the mast a few years ago and bundled all the new wires inside of a bit of black foam pipe insulation with a few zip ties every 5 or 6 feet. The tales were left on the zip ties to help pull the bundle past the obstacles inside of the spar.

Along with securing the external halyards, the black foam helps to prevent the dreaded 'mast clank' when at rest!!
 
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