Mast Maintenance/Derigging Pogo 30 Axxon Carbon Mast
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Posts
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Hello
i plan to remove my mast this winter for inspection and changing the wire rigging.
can anyone tell me if there are any connectors for the vhf , wind and lighting cables inside the mast or do I have to cut the cables?
Thank you
Keith
Hello Keith,
I redid my mast last year. Pogo 30 non-EVO carbon mast.
the advantage of taking part in this refit, which is recommended every seven years, is that you can see for yourself the wear and tear of time! First of all, once the mast has been removed, remove all the halyards using messengers, without making any connections, in order to wash them, check their condition, change them if necessary and, above all, protect them with freeze-wrap where they rub (at the top of the mast, at the foot of the mast, at the piano). It costs less than changing those expensive textiles every two years; easy.
Do the same for all the masthead electrical and VHF cables: the original VHF antenna is of poor quality, and the coaxial cable is very small in diameter. Choose a whip antenna with a US coast guard choke, purchased in the UK, and aircell 7 coaxial, purchased in Germany… an excellent choice. By the way, don’t keep the connector in a grey watertight box when removing the mast. Calculate the entire length of the coaxial cable from the mast to the AIS system, which in my case was laid perpendicular to the boat at the bow in the hatch to the right of the chart table, and not directly to the VHF! This grey box is located under the center table behind the lifting keel. undo ALL the screws holding this vertical block which is made up of three parts, one of which is fixed.
To answer your question precisely, there are two boxes in this block to be moved in front of the companionway: one NKE and the other grey. Put messengers with a note on each unscrewed wire before removing the mast. Do not cut any of the NKE cables!
Finally, the shrouds and stays. Undo them, roll them up and mark them to give them to your favorite sailmaker to refurbish.
Remove the four stainless steel pins from the two spreaders.
Once removed, check all electrical components. If in doubt, replace the cables with new ones.
Be careful when reassembling the spreaders: the wires must never run close to the halyards, which will be in motion. Electrical and vhf wires must not be on the same side of the spreader as the halyards.
Last but not least: fill all aluminum-carbon and stainless-steel contact points with passivating paste, which is very important to avoid electrolysis. Use gloves.
All the best
X-RAY
Hello, interesting subject, because I too have degree my mast to do maintenance. I’ve read the detailed explanations and I’d like to change the VHF cable, me the coaxial aircell 7, will it be compatible with the new antenna I’m going to buy: Antenne Shakespeare modèle 5215-D Inox? Who do I contact?
Thank you
Milamar
Hello,
I think that an excellent cable will not be very effective if the connections are not of good quality.
For my part, I used cable fitted with FME connectors at the factory. These are very compact and allow the cables to be passed through the sheaths during assembly or disassembly. Adapters are then used to connect to the antenna or devices, such as FME/PL259.
Cables with FME connectorsEmmanuel
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