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Old 08-05-2013, 09:57   #16
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Re: Supporting Cables Inside the Mast -- Best Practice?

Yet again, I will repeat from an earlier thread:

The best solution to internal mast wires is to take out any conduits and send a line affixed with cushion foam every 3 feet the length of the mast. Have the messenger line along the side of this. It's lighter and you can send any number of wires or lines up or down and they will be held quietly against the mast.

Worked like a charm on my K41.
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Old 12-05-2013, 06:44   #17
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Re: Supporting Cables Inside the Mast -- Best Practice?

If you can pull the wires out of the mast or conduit, get some thin nylon rope. Tape the wires to the rope (or use cable ties), then pull them back through the mast or conduit. Find a good way to support the rope at the top and the rope will support the wires. Leave a little slack in the wires at the top.
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Old 12-05-2013, 14:43   #18
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Re: Supporting Cables Inside the Mast -- Best Practice?

Quote:
Originally Posted by rwidman View Post
If you can pull the wires out of the mast or conduit, get some thin nylon rope. Tape the wires to the rope (or use cable ties), then pull them back through the mast or conduit. Find a good way to support the rope at the top and the rope will support the wires. Leave a little slack in the wires at the top.
Excellent idea! .....and if you use the cable ties, don't cut off the long tails of the ties. These will keep the rope and wire from slapping inside the mast.
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Old 12-02-2014, 10:04   #19
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Re: Supporting Cables Inside the Mast -- Best Practice?

This thread isn't too old, and is exatly my question, so let me add a bit more. I have a Sabre 34, with a overall mast length around 50'. I have the mast out, and am replacing all wires in it. Since I have internal halyards, the foam trick is out. I'm going to be running a conduit to hold the wires. But the question is support.

The boat was built with SOOW wire (black, Home-Depot type extension cord wire). It's lasted 30+ years, but the insulation is getting a little cracked in places.

I suppose I'll be going with marine grade wire (since 30 years on SOOW demonstrates how bad that stuff is!), which leads to a problem. I can't simply thread the large single multi-conductor wire through the mast like Sabre did, and be confident that the entire cable is supported, since I can't seem to find 14/4 marine cable (GenuineDealz sells 4 conductor cable, but nothing smaller than #10). That means I'll have 4 individual conductors coming out the top. Any ideas on how to support them effectively? I guess I could just tie an overhand knot in the whole bundle, which would probably hold it well. But that seems so red-neck.

Oh, and I'll be upgrading the factory 16 gauge to 14 gauge while dropping the lighting load from incandescent to LED. Sometimes the modern recommendations seem to ignore what worked for so many years.

Thanks for any thoughts!

Harry
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Old 12-02-2014, 10:28   #20
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Re: Supporting Cables Inside the Mast -- Best Practice?

Bookmarked this somewhere:

HUBBELL WIRING DEVICE-KELLEMS Cable Support Grip,Single Eye,.50-.62In - Cable Support Grips - 6D229|02201013 - Grainger Industrial Supply

A knot would work, or wire tie a length of small line to the bundle near the top.

Also, up sizing the wire when you are reducing the current by 90% makes no sense to me. The LED fixtures work well over a much wider range of voltages, typically don't even dim till <9V.
You might find the wire you are looking for in 20AWG.

Or, get another extension cord; IMHO waterproof terminations and protecting the wire from chafe are much more important than using tinned wire.

Cheers,
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Old 23-04-2014, 03:10   #21
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Re: Supporting Cables Inside the Mast -- Best Practice?

14/4 round boat cable
pacer group.net
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Old 23-04-2014, 05:46   #22
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Re: Supporting Cables Inside the Mast -- Best Practice?

You can tie a double cable tie at every 2 feet - do not cut the loose end off. Make sure that the cable ties are 180 degrees offset (loose end opposite each other), then pull up the entire cable bundle. The loose tie ends will ensure that the cables doesn't rub.......but can also hinder pulling the cables through the mast.
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