The ground wire for the masthead lights on W42 Varua (nee Aplysia) severed where it comes out of the mast to the light fixture. Tracing the wires, I find that they go into the bottom of the compression post, and come out the top of the mast to the fixture, without any junction box to detach them. Furthermore, the wires will not pull, so appear to be fastened inside. BTW the ground wire appears to have been rejoined by solder at an old break, which tells me that the previous owner faced the same problem. I also see rivets on the mast, suggesting a conduit inside. I would like to run a new set of wires up the mast, hopefully without having to unstep the mast. Anyone familiar with this issue? Thanks and best wishes

Thanks Jay. Yes I believe the rivets running up the mast indicate a conduit, possibly PVC. The three wires to the two lights (two hot, one ground) came a few inches out of the light's mounting base, with a good tug. I was able to repair the break in the ground line with a crimp connector & electrician's tape. Not a long term solution, but I have a masthead light for now.