Avoiding "mouse" lines in winter?

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Adjag

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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??
 
Seems reasonable - but you should be very careful how you bag the tail at the foot of the mast. If you just put the coil in the bag and tie the neck around the rope, it will probably fill up with water. Better to hang it in such a way that the open end of the bag is downwards to let water drain out.

Pete
 
I have had problems with thin mouse lines getting worn or damaged.
The 8mm three strand rope from the pound shop is far more robust.

The best halyards have a whipping with a little eye on the end, so you can easily tie a mouse line to it.
Or an eye formed from the braid cover.
 
I attach mouse lines to halyards with insulating tape and gently pull them through; quicker and less hassle than sewing - which I agree would be more reliable. This is done in the spring so that the halyards can be washed. I leave the mouse lines in for the minimum of time (no more than a few days during quiet weather) as they are likely to jump off the sheaves and jam during strong winds if left all winter.
 
I was nervous the first time I removed mine but really it is very easy and you get to examine the whole length for problems and it is good to give them a clean. Every time I lay up I take mine out. Give it a go.
 
Adjag said:
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??
Click to expand...

I would have thought that putting them in a bin liner would make them susceptible to mould. You could trap moisture inside.
 
What I do is coil them from where they exit the mast and then hang the coils under the boom. Then there is a cover that goes over the boom. That way, they stay exposed to the air but protected from the rain. Never go green.

Absolutely agree with prv that they should not be wrapped in a bin liner
 
I use cheap blue polypropylene line, about 8mm I seem to remember bought at a local 'cheap' shop on a roll. About £14.

I then sew the ends together, cover the join with masking tape and pull them through. Blue cord won't jump off sheaves and is strong enough to haul the line up our 12m mast.

Reverse procedure for spring. The last roll lasted about 8-9 years and as a bonus, you're never short of a tough bit of string for odd jobs like holding the canvas covers on as well!
 
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...
 
davewarburton said:
Absolutely agree with prv that they should not be wrapped in a bin liner
Click to expand...

To be clear, I think a tough black bag (maybe a rubble sack rather than a bin liner) would work as rain and airborne-grime protection, but it needs to be hung up by the closed end with the coil hung inside, the bottom left open. Think raincoat rather than diving suit. I did this on a smaller scale with the ends of our mast wiring last year when the mast was out, and it was fine. The boat next to us in the yard has their wiring put into a plastic bag, a cable-tie around the neck of it, and then the whole lot just hanging from the cables (ie the neck of the bag is at the top). Unsurprisingly, the bag is now half-full of water.

Pete
 
If you're determined to avoid mousing the lines over Winter, then you can still clean them up come Spring. Your plan to extend them by tying on an extension to allow the end up to the sheaf will allow the fall to be washed in a bin full of soapy water (and rinse thoroughly) - first one end, then the other. I'd prefer washing powder to Patio Magic as it should be less agressive to the fibres. It's amazing how much filth can be washed out of an apparently clean looking rope and they handle much better afterwards.

It would still be a good idea to store them in an inverted plastic bag over Winter to keep them clean, though a cloth bag which will allow them to dry will also keep airborne dirt off.

Rob.
 
There's no reason to be scared of mousing lines. I have just fitted a spinnaker halyard for the first time, which involved pulling through with a mousing line that had been in situ for 9 years. Not a problem.

Although sewing the mousing line to the halyard must be the uber-secure method, I tie it with a rolling hitch and then put insulating tape over it. The tape stops the hitch undoing and also streamlines the end of the halyard when it passes through the sheave.
 
Don't know about halyards going green, but they definitely pick up salt and dirt. Every 2nd year I put though mouse lines of 1.2mm polyester braid (it has a 32kg breaking strain and available from model shops where it's used for kite control-lines) and wash the halyards and (usually end-for-end them).
Subsequently the line can be used for signal halyards - not as good as UHMWPE or Vectran but perfectly serviceable.
If you get them taut there's no problem of them jamming on the sheave axles.
 
Adjag said:
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??
Click to expand...


I use mouse lines every year, whip them well and then use tape then silicone spray fabsil superpuf works well. I also take up religion when doing it and im always gentle. The mast is a long way up so you can imagine a ball ache for not doing it correctly.
 
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I'm leaving the main halyard and topping lift in place this year because I'm using the boom as a crane to get stuff on and off the boat while it's up on sticks :)

Pete
 
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