I want to mount a small electric horn at the pulpit under the nav light on my 2008 26m (for river and canal use). I thought I would be able to pull a cable through the stanchion and rail from the interior. I pushed a steel cable pulling 'tape' in through the nav light cable hole to the stanchion base but it doesn't seem to want to go any further. Hoped it would drop out from behind the inner lining to pull a cable back and then be able to do the same thing from the fuse box.
Anyone got any ideas about the construction at the base of the stanchion - I dont want to undo the bolts at the base of the stanchion if I can't hold the nuts inside to tighten them up again.
Read on the US forum that Macgregor fixed the nav light cable either at the base of the stanchion or at the backstay fixing point and the existing cable can't be pulled either way - certainly seems fixed.
regards
Colin Bryant
Hi Colin,
Why not mount your horn further back, possibly on a nice pole/ mini-mast which you could fit to mast fixing bracket near centre board. I have worked out that it is quite easy to make a hole at that point , infront of existing mast light point ad to thread wire down through the epmty floatation box and ouut at sife to run behind the inner liner and back to rear of the boat . At some point over rear bunk a conduit can be fixed to get wire to steering pedastal ( or if you persevere and have some luck you might thread it behind the liner ....I have tried this without much luck .
If you did this you could also mount a small white light on top ohf the minimast and power of mast light connection , alternatively mount a brighter search light for tunnels.....its remarkably easy to crash into the sides of tunnels!
I hhave just completed a similar project to feed mast head aerial down through a gland in the deck and around to radio at rear in such a way that it can be remeved if I take mast off for river boating. ( I have alternative pushpit mounted aerial.)
Roly
PS bolting troughs of flowers , tin baths etc to the deck is optional.
thanks Roly, sorry for the delayed response - been on holiday for 10 days.
yes I had considered this as an alternative and I already have made a stub mast with steaming and alternative anchor light which I can plug into the existing steaming light deck socket.I intend to mount a vhf aerial there aswell - considered the pushpit/mast carrier rail but felt it was a bit too near my head at the helm (I seem to remember it should be at least 1.5m away). My brain is deteriorating fast enough already without subjecting it to any chance of microwaving.
If I don't succeed with the pulpit position I'll try the mast.
regards
Colin Bryant