Cold weather makes wire insulation brittle and would amplify the level of  
noise you are accustomed to. My solution to wire slapping is an easy one. Since  
the wires are already inside the mast, all you have to do is get some foam 
pipe  insulation and insert it in the cavity on the front of the mast. I can't  
remember the size I used, but insert the wires into the center and shove it 
in.  I believe I used two or three sections below the spreaders and another 
couple  above. My mast is hung from the rafters in my garage  right now so I  
don't have easy access to it.
Also, add the noise of the water sloshing against the hull and the wire  
noise tends to be muffled. If you want to check the IMF mechanism, it's easy to  
remove or reinsert. It will mean taking the raps off the furler, so keep count  
so you put it back together the right way. It simply drops out the bottom of 
the  mast when it's down.
 
Rummy
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