Avoiding "mouse" lines in winter?

[rogerthebodger]

The whipping on the deck end of my halyards all have a little loop incorporated so attaching a mouse line is easy and no taping or sowing is needed.

 

[prv]

The whipping on the deck end of my halyards all have a little loop incorporated so attaching a mouse line is easy and no taping or sowing is needed.

And I formed a small loop out of the braid cover on mine.

Pete

 

[Spirit of Glenans]

I almost always have the mast lowered on deck for the winter, but the following would apply with the mast up, apart from tying cheapo strong polyester external mousing lines to the halliard ends.

I always pull the halliards & lines and coil them at the foot of the mast, then secure them in a couple of strong plastic bags, another couple at the masthead to protect the halliard ends and masthead lights etc.

The bags are strongly tied with several lines, then I apply the high tech solution of poking my finger in the lower parts of the bags as drains !

Never had any green lines.

If the mast is on deck, I have found out the hard way it's a good idea to have bright yellow bags on the mast ends to help yard tractor drivers see them...

...Or old hi-viz jackets, which building workers seem to discard at random on roadsides etc.

 

[srm]

Last winter (my first as an owner) I left the halliards and some did go a little green particularly where they lie flat along the coachroof.

I’m a bit nervous about unreeving them and fitting mouse lines and wondered whether I couldn't get most of the benefit by tieing some old rope to the halliard and then hoisting it to the masthead. Then at the base of the mast the halliard could be coiled and put into a bin liner. So hardly any halliard would be exposed. Any views??

Have been doing exactly this for years. Use braided nylon (about 3 mm) from commercial fishing supplier for downhauls. Attach pair of jib halliards to one line and main + topping lift to another. I drop the spinaker halliard and lazyjacks as they are external and easily threaded through the blocks in the spring. No mould in the plastic bags but put ropes in dry, tape up so will not chafe and suspend so can drain through neck.
If you do go for mouse lines the braided nylon should be fine.