Possoms in the rigging?

[seafox]

Has anyone replaced their wind sender unit by mousing the wire through the mast using the old wire (while the mast in place)?

[Steve Pope]

Don't know about Possums in the rigging but there was a guy on a schooner in Whangarei who had a possum on board that ate most of the bread and easy to get at food that he had stored for his trip to Savu Savu. Had to get a dog to flush it out as it was impossible to find during the day.
You shouldn't have any trouble using the existing wire to pull its replacement up the mast, so long as the gland at the top isn't too tight and you splice them together without bulking them up too much.
I have a continuous piece of light line in place just for that purpose.

[seafox]

a good heading sells more copy

Yeah, I was hoping that. Thought I might rub some vaseline on the wire sheave as well to help it through.

[Joli]

Originally Posted by Steve Pope

I have a continuous piece of light line in place just for that purpose.

Ditto that. Keep a messenger in the spar.

No possums but we did pick up a boat yard kitten that found its way into the bow and was a bugger all to get out. I was too big to get all the forward to get the thing, the kids got it out.

[svHyLyte]

Firstly, FYI "Mousing" is the process of coiling wraps of wire or line around the shank and end of a cargo or rigging hook, or an open line chock, to disallow a line to escape the hook or chock when the strain on the line is relieved.

As to your problem--one might use the existing wire in a mast aa a "messinger" to pull a replacement wire into place so long as the original wire is not secured within the mast in some fashion. We did exactly that to replace our antenna cable some years aro but our wiring all runs through a sizable conduit. We did find that spraying the new wire with SailKote was helpful and we did add a second--light weight--piece of line to the connection between the new and old cable that was also pulled into place with the new cable so that, in future, we would have that available as a messinger for future wire pulls, if necessary.

Cheers,

s/v HyLyte

[cooper]

Strong fishing line with a weight can be lowered down inside the mast to use as a pull line. When it gets to the bottom you pull it out with a bit of bent wire. You do this after you break the old wire off inside the mast as you are trying to pull it through ; )

[Alan Wheeler]

FYI "Mousing" is the process of coiling wraps of wire or line

Down here, we call it mousing. We use a mouse, which is a line with a weight to get down a wall, or in this case, down the mast. The weight is like the mose body and teh line is the tail and it runs down the wall like a mouse. So hence the name. Cutting a channel to run a cable along is called chasing. We also have a name for a line run through conduit or what ever, to pull another cable through with. But I forget it right now.

[DaveyJones]

Fish tape is another common method used for this purpose. Since gravity is on your side though it seems you should be OK.

In some cases of conduit you would blow or vacuum a line through it.

[billangiep]

Another after the wire breaks solution is to attach a few feet of chain (the pull string type on a light bulb or ceiling fan) to the messenger, drop it in then retrieve it with a magnet.
Mousing in the rigging trade means to secure a hook or shackle. Example would be to use seizing wire to secure your anchor shackle pin.(G)
Bill,

[svHyLyte]

Wheels--

Thanks for your note. One tends to forget that the reach of this forum is international and that the vernacular will not be consistant. Here, the process you describe might be referred to as either "Fishing" or "Threading" a guide line that would be referred to as a "Messenger" and the new cable to be installed would be held to the Messenger with a "Nip". Of course, one might "Mouse" the end of the Messenger to prevent it running back through the masthead if the free end were to be released.

Cheers!

s/v HyLyte

[Pblais]

Has anyone replaced their wind sender unit by mousing the wire through the mast using the old wire (while the mast in place)?

If it was installed properly you might not be able to do this. A good job would have bundled and tied all the wires together. They would be attached to something else to bare the load of the weight as well. That means they should not pull out. The point being if the wires are loose they will eventually flog themselves silly inside the mast and short. The weight of the wire would also pull on the fitting as well.

[Alan Wheeler]

Fish tape is another common method

Here, fishing is when you pull something up, mousing is going down.
Yes hylyte, you are indeed correct. Mousing is wrapping a tie of cord or wire around to secure. That is the true and correct use of the word. I should have said, or I poorly implied, the line that we drop down the wall is called a mouse.
Paul is also correct in how the wires should be installed correctly. Although for one wire, dropping a mast seems to difficult and expensive for most of us. I simply dropped teh mast head sender cable down a free hung the wire. In the proper way of doing this, the wire should be supported as the weight of itself pulling on the top connection may overcome its own strength adn thus cause fine signle wires internaly to break. One would hope that the manufacturer had enough foresight to know many instances are goign to occurr where someone can only drop the wire down the mast and ensure a cable with plenty of tensional strength was used. But that ia a hope. I have no idea if it is down in reality. My signal cable has supported itself for three years now. So far no issues, but I can not gaurantee that will remain that way.

[DaveyJones]

I have used 60', 80', and 100' masts for antenna and the cables were only secured at the top. They would likely last longer if the were secured without a doubt. In our case they are on the outside and take a real beating from wind even though they are on land.

It seems that changing the cable is not a problem. The problem is there are too many ways to do it.

[perchance]

Mousing is what the cat does and fishing is a good excuse to do nothing while drinking beer