In his book, Nigel Calders Cruising Handbook, Calder takes a detailed look at both the necessary and desirable features of deck hardware. Heres some of his advice:
Electrical cabling is sometimes run loosely inside masts. It rattles and bangs annoyingly, and may eventually chafe through (at which point it may cause severe stray current erosion). It should always be installed in a plastic conduit. Conduit can be retroactively installed on masts by laying the mast down horizontally, removing the existing cables, building up the necessary length of conduit outside the mast, putting a generous bead of silicone rubber or polyurethane adhesive on one side of the conduit, sliding the conduit into place with the silicone or polyurethane facing away from the mast wall (so that it does not get rubbed off), and then rolling the conduit over so that the silicon or polyurethane ends up between the mast wall and conduit, gluing the conduit in place. The conduit is then drilled for the necessary exit holes (e.g., spreader light), after which fishing wires are used to pull through fishing lines, which are then used to pull cables back into place.
For more information and advice on what to look for in and on a cruising boat, purchase Nigel Calders Cruising Handbook from Practical Sailor.
