Tomorrow, Gus from Olympic Boat Transport & Crane Service will come to take the mast down.
In preparation, I took the boom and mainsail, disassembled the lazy jacks, and moved all the halyards and other lines on the best to the mast, so they are not tied to any other part of the boat.
The mast is an Isomat mast that was made in France and found on a variety of different boats. The company is no longer in business, but parts are available from Rigrite, in Rhode Island. I’ve dealt with Meghan there in the past, and have corresponded with her about what we’re doing now.
Isomat masts have a very good reputation, that in my opinion seems to be well deserved. The section has an integral sail track, which is not very unusual, and an integral track for the spinnaker-pole car, which is constructed as a boss.
The boom has three sheaves at the end, and three integral cam cleats for two reefing lines and an out haul. (The outhaul becomes more important now that we are switching to a loose-footed main.)
Most intriguingly, the gooseneck comes apart without tools, which was very, very helpful when removing the mainsail and the boom.
Running up the compression post and through the mast are the power line for the steaming light (which seems to be three conductors and will be very useful with the steaming light I have purchased), and co-ax for the VHF antenna.
The power runs through a piece of translucent hose from the bottom of the compression post to, presumably, the deck. The co-ax on the other hand runs through a translucent hose from the “basement” all the way through the compression post and up to the deck. This is very nice.
People at the Maxi 95 Facebook group say there are connectors above the deck when the mast is lifted. I am hopeful, but doubtful.
For the power, I think nothing of just cutting the line and installing connectors. For the coax, I will remove the connector at the splitter, by unscrewing it if it is that type connector, or merely cutting the cable if it is a soldered connection.
I’ll confirm with Erwin about whether I should replace the co-ax and/or VHF antenna.
This brings us to the radar.
Posted on the mast about 9 feet above the deck is a JRC 100 radar unit. Leading from the unit to the display is 15 m of eight-connector shielded cable with a good-sized round connector attaching the cable to the display, and two flat connectors connecting the cable to the dome.
Here is the magic: the hole through the deck is the diameter of the cable and no more. There is no way to have gotten any of the connectors through that hole.
The cable is easily disconnected from the dome or the display unit, but cannot pass through the deck hole with the connectors attached.
The cable runs along the exterior of the mast, and it would have been a very simple matter to merely disconnect the dome and leave it lying on the deck, had the cable got been run under a mounting bracket for a winch.
And as I write this I realize what an idiot I have been.
They would have been a very, very simple matter to have disconnected the connectors at the dome and pull the cable through the winch bracket. I didn’t realize that, though I easily should have, and instead cut off the round connector.
I should’ve taken a break, wandered about for a bit and re-examined the problem before making a permanent modification.
Nothing more to write about this.
Gus will be there at 8 AM.
[Having written this mea culpa, there may have been another gland in the dome, that would have prevented those connectors from being pulled though. In any case, the cable has been cut.]
