Wires inside wood mast of 1968 Alden?

[coldfish]

So, I've been slowly rewiring this old 68' Alden I've got and it's time to do the lights.

The wires currently are bundled up and enter the base of the mast about 6" up off the deck. I'd also like to put some more stuff up there: an antenna, and a camera, and some lights that face down to the deck from the spreader bars.

So, more wires.

Does anyone know what the inside of these masts are like? Do they generally have a conduit inside or do the wires hang free? should I expect to see some kind of access panel when I finally manage to get to the top?

I've been as far as the spreaders one time and, I have to admit, I really don't like heights! As such, I'd like to avoid going up unprepared if I can avoid it.

Any experiences or advice would be appreciated.

[ItDepends]

I assume this has a stave constructed mast, in which case it is hollow. I'd be VERY surprised to find a conduit inside, since there would be no way to attach it, unless it was done as part of the original glue-up.

In a wood mast there is unlikely to be an "access panel." The wires probably come out of the side or the top of the mast head casting.

To get a better idea of what's up there, you might find a friend who has a drone, buy them some beer and have them take photos. I have found that enormously helpful at avoiding extra trips up and down.

You might also find a wooden boat forum. They will have a larger group of people who might have specific experience with exactly this mast. Alden's were not rare.

[JPA Cate]

Hi there, coldfish:

As a note, I have seen timber masts with the wiring on the outside, too. Inside is more protected. There isn't likely to be a terminal strip. There may be, inside the boat, very where the wires re-enter from aloft. (Makes it easier for when you take the mast out/off.)

Just how tall is this mast? if the boat is 68' on deck, It will be pretty tall unless you have a split rig.

If you have pics to share, I'm sure there would be interest.

Ann

PS. For going aloft, my trick is to not look down (my stomach goes whoops! and I start feeling weird), but rather to enjoy the sights, horizontally, and focus on the job at hand, basically cutting out my reaction to heights from consideration.

A.

[LakeSuperior]

When my father built spars he routed wires through wooden disks glued in at spaced intervals.

[Bowdrie]

Your sidebar says, Cheoy Lee, Alden Pilothouse 32.
Your thread title says, 1968 Alden.
Your thread says, 68' Alden.

Something doesn't add up.
You say the wires exit the mast ~6" above the deck, that would indicate a deck stepped mast, am I right?
If it is indeed a 1968 Cheoy Lee 32 built in 1968, then yes, it will probably have a deck stepped mast, (Cheoy Lee would change things for custom order).
The wires inside the mast are basically non-removable.
There is a solid section at the mast heel, another solid section where the gooseneck area is, and another solid section at the spreaders, and another solid section at the masthead.
New wires/added wires?
They will need to be external.
I'll go out on a limb and say that down at the deck there is, (or was,) a male/female plug set-up to connect the wires from the mast to the inside of the boat, right?