Cheoy Lee Wooden Mast Question

[knothead]

Hello all, and Hi Brian. Sorry I missed you when you were in town for the boat show and dropped by the shop.
Steve Smith here. SSMR in St. Pete. (GO RAYS!!)
I just joined you because I just discovered you. I've been a SailNet member for a long time and that has been the extent of my on-line activity.
I'm branching out as it were.
I haven't even really figured out how to navigate this site yet, and in the spirit of full disclosure, I want to state that I haven't read the RULES.
Brian, forgive me.
However, I promise to behave and I take direction well.
If I am out of line, Just let me know.

Here's my situation.
There is a customer in the yard who is restoring a Cheoy Lee 32' ,(I think). We pulled the stick a few months ago. It had some rot and actually separated just above the step as we were pulling it.
Since then, she has had the mast repaired and we have made all new standing rigging.
She has had her own people working on the project and I haven't spent a lot of time thinking about it.
Today, as she was painting the mast she informed us that she wanted us to run wire for a tri-color, vhf and steaming/deck combo. Problem is the spar is solid. Nowhere for internal wire.
Does anyone have any ideas for a halfway decent looking and effective way to run these wires externally?
All thoughts and suggestions will be gratefully considered and presented to the customer.
Thanks,

Best regards,
Steve Smith

[knothead]

Originally Posted by knothead

Here's my situation.
There is a customer in the yard who is restoring a Cheoy Lee 32' ,(I think). We pulled the stick a few months ago. It had some rot and actually separated just above the step as we were pulling it.
Since then, she has had the mast repaired and we have made all new standing rigging.
She has had her own people working on the project and I haven't spent a lot of time thinking about it.
Today, as she was painting the mast she informed us that she wanted us to run wire for a tri-color, vhf and steaming/deck combo. Problem is the spar is solid. Nowhere for internal wire.
Does anyone have any ideas for a halfway decent looking and effective way to run these wires externally?
All thoughts and suggestions will be gratefully considered and presented to the customer.
Thanks,

Best regards,
Steve Smith

I'm going to bump this once and if it still gets no response, I'll let it go. There must be some ideas out there.

[Ian McColgin]

On masts for a gaff rig with no track, router a trough for the wire and then epoxy in a spline to cover it. On masts with track and a wood spacer under, it might be possible to put the wire in and under the spacer, but watch where the track screws go.

I'm inclined to put the VHF antenna wire and the tricolour etc wires in seperate troughs. You may even want a third trough for the steaming light.

G'luck

[Brian Duff]

Its also common to just 'staple' the cable close alongside the track for the mainsail and then paint it white to protect from UV, or paint to match the rig.

Brass staples with paper insulation are what we see used most.

[Brion Toss]

Hello,
First, are you sure they're solid? How ridiculous that is. So my first choice would be to see if they are large enough to hollow out, and then the wiring could be run inside. Solve two problems at once.
Since that's not likely to happen, the trough is a good second choice. You could also replace the core of a double-braid rope with the wire, then stopper the rope/wire to a shroud. Looks like a halyard at first glance.
Fair leads,
Brion Toss