Does the F32 mast have an internal tube for wiring?

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mtryon
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Does the F32 mast have an internal tube for wiring?

Post by mtryon »

Regarding the F32 CF mast; Does anyone know if the factory had the foresight to install an internal tube or channel inside the mast for the electrical wires to the lights and wind instruments? I did a search and didn't come up with anything. ~~~~Thanks
Freedom 32 - Hull #15 - "BAMBOLEO" - Southern California, USA
Morgan 41 CC "Classic" - 10 year live-aboard
Rawson 30 - "La Cabriole" - Circumnavigator -- but not by me... :(

unfetteredalexandria
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Re: Does the F32 mast have an internal tube for wiring?

Post by unfetteredalexandria »

Assuming it's the same for the F25 round mast, no. I recently had mine down for the first time since I've owned the boat. I'm the third owner, and the previous owner told me he never had it down, and doubted the first owners ever did. So I think it's likely what I saw was how it was stepped when originally delivered. The wiring was wrapped in some kind of clear plastic tape, like shipping tape, but if it ever had any adhesive properties, they were long gone. But otherwise, the harness just dropped straight down inside the tube, not separated by any kind of barrier from the halyards.
1984 round-mast Freedom 25
Western Shore of the Chesapeake

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mtryon
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Re: Does the F32 mast have an internal tube for wiring?

Post by mtryon »

Thanks for your reply. I hope someone else chimes in with "otherwise". Can't imagine them just letting nav lights, wind instrument wires, and VHF coax just flop around in nearly 50 feet of tube (not to mention internal halyards sawing away on them every hoist and douse. Then there's the problem of 50 feet of wire weight on each electrical connection. Not good. I've only owned the boat a few days, but can imagine the slap slap slap sound at night in a rolling anchorage while I'm trying to sleep! :(
Freedom 32 - Hull #15 - "BAMBOLEO" - Southern California, USA
Morgan 41 CC "Classic" - 10 year live-aboard
Rawson 30 - "La Cabriole" - Circumnavigator -- but not by me... :(

peaceandfreedom
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Location: F33 CK & F38 CK Milford ct

Re: Does the F32 mast have an internal tube for wiring?

Post by peaceandfreedom »

Sorry to disappoint you Mtryon, but my experience has been the same on all (6) of my Freedom masts; no conduit in the mast to carry the wires to the top. The clear (no stick) plastic I found inside my masts, was not used to wrap the wires but was used in the manufacturing process of the mast, as a barrier between the mast and the mandrel. I removed as much of this plastic as I could. When I rewired my mast last season I applied long, heavy duty tie-wraps every 4 feet which force the wire to the sidewall inside the mast. When spending the night at anchor I no longer have clanging inside the mast thanks to these tie wraps. I do not believe the absence of any conduit is a problem for these masts.

Jim D

unfetteredalexandria
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Re: Does the F32 mast have an internal tube for wiring?

Post by unfetteredalexandria »

To a significant extent, the weight of the harness is supported at the top by the adhesive caulk applied around the wire as it exits the top of the mast. This was *quite* solid, and difficult to remove for the job I was doing! So I doubt the electrical connectors are supporting any more than an insubstantial wire weight. I did not see any abrasion on the insulation of the masttop light wire when I pulled it, so I don't think the halyards did any damage to it over the 27+ years it hung in there.

If you decide to change this, and do pull your mast down, or are up there to do some work otherwise, I (and probably others) would appreciate a photo or two of how the topside F32 foresail rigging is arranged to avoid tangling of the spin halyard on the wire forestay and staysail halyard. A lot of F25 and F21 owners have come up with variations on adding an extra halyard for a staysail (original design was to share the same halyard for chute and staysail). It would be interesting to compare.
1984 round-mast Freedom 25
Western Shore of the Chesapeake

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GeoffSchultz
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Re: Does the F32 mast have an internal tube for wiring?

Post by GeoffSchultz »

On my 40/40 Freedom used soft foam pipe insulation and ran the wires through that. It's reasonably quiet.

-- Geoff
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1997 Freedom 40/40
http://www.GeoffSchultz.org

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mtryon
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Re: Does the F32 mast have an internal tube for wiring?

Post by mtryon »

Thanks everybody for your input. Bummer that the factory didn't put a tube in there after the mast came off the mandrel.
I'll have to give this one some more thought. I haven't sailed the boat enough to know if this is going to be a noise problem now, but for wiring fatigue it could eventually become a problme. If I decide to pull the mast it's a simple fix, so for now I'll put it on my list.
Freedom 32 - Hull #15 - "BAMBOLEO" - Southern California, USA
Morgan 41 CC "Classic" - 10 year live-aboard
Rawson 30 - "La Cabriole" - Circumnavigator -- but not by me... :(

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mtryon
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Re: Does the F32 mast have an internal tube for wiring?

Post by mtryon »

unfetteredalexandria wrote:If you decide to change this, and do pull your mast down, or are up there to do some work otherwise, I (and probably others) would appreciate a photo or two of how the topside F32 foresail rigging is arranged to avoid tangling of the spin halyard on the wire forestay and staysail halyard. A lot of F25 and F21 owners have come up with variations on adding an extra halyard for a staysail (original design was to share the same halyard for chute and staysail). It would be interesting to compare.
Here is a page out of the F32 manual showing the Jib and Spinnaker exit box on my Freedom 32. It's funny that early in the manual it says the jib (staysail) halyards are external and then later shows this page with the jib/spin exit box clearly showing internal halyards----which is the way it IS set up on my F32. This may not be of much use to you as there is apparently an integral mast tang for the forestay that must have been created during original layup of the mast. Good luck...
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Freedom 32 - Hull #15 - "BAMBOLEO" - Southern California, USA
Morgan 41 CC "Classic" - 10 year live-aboard
Rawson 30 - "La Cabriole" - Circumnavigator -- but not by me... :(

daletournier
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Re: Does the F32 mast have an internal tube for wiring?

Post by daletournier »

Hi have a F32 and the wiring runs in a black soft foam tube, i assume the same as Geoff decribed. Wiring that has been added after production such as raymarine wind instruments are outside the foam sheath. When i first brought the boat the halyards ran outside the mast, dont know why. The wires slapping side to side drove me crazy, once i threaded the halyards internally for some reason it reduced the internal slapping dramatically. Its now quite good.
Cheers Dale.
Freeform F32

whereismiles
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Re: Does the F32 mast have an internal tube for wiring?

Post by whereismiles »

We are replacing the B&G wind gage and annenometer. The mast is in the air. The old cable is stuck inside the mast at the top. I can only pull about an inch of wire upwards with channel lock pliers. We can't feel any downward pressure up there when the wire is tugged on at the bottom of the mast. By chance has anyone seen how the wire is attached inside the masthead? Is it glued onto the under side of the mast head? We have no evidence of glue above the masthead. Thanks so much!

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