Frayed halyard - how much life is left?

[conehead]

Hi,

I noticed yesterday that the halyard on my mainsail has frayed on one particular part. I think it might have been rubbing on the spreader as it's at the right height when the halyard is attached to the end of the boom, although I'm not sure how as I've been tying the line away from the mast when the boat isn't in use.

Anyway, I'm wondering how much life is left in the halyard at this point. Should I stop using it immediately and get a replacement, or will it be serviceable for a while to come and I should just keep an eye on it? I've not been sailing very long and I'm new to boat ownership too, so I don't really have any experience on this and would welcome (friendly) advice.

Cheers

 

[ash2020]

I'm sure you're familiar with sod's law? If it fails, it will fail at the worst possible moment. Maybe when you're about to tack away from a lee shore. I would replace it immediately. Not worth the risk for a few quid.

 

[ash2020]

p.s. when you're pulling the new one through, I would attach it to the old one with a needle and some unbreakable thread. Don't just tape it and hope for the best. That way, it'll only take a few minutes instead of a few hours!

 

[AntarcticPilot]

I'd replace it. It might well last another season, but why take the chance for a relatively cheap replacement?

 

[Stemar]

If it's only the outer braid that's fraying, it's almost certainly fine for the rest of the season. All the same, there is that almost; it's a cheap repair, and I'll bet that it's been in use long enough that it doesn't owe you anything, so I'll go with the others - replace at your earliest convenience.

If it isn't that old, I'd want to know if there's something causing the wear - a seized pulley or something and address that at the same time

 

[KevinV]

Paint a bright colour on the offending part to make it easier to see where it's chafing - sort that out before ruining a new halyard exactly the same. To me it looks really localised rather than just age. Personally I would replace asap - relatively cheap and easy to do, a world of grief if it parts unexpectedly.

 

[Biggles Wader]

There is significant wear especially visible in your second picture and the other picture appears to show the rope has been pinched. Do you secure the halyard with a clutch or grip type cleat and would that be where the damage is? I'd definitely replace it.

 

[Pump-Out]

will it be serviceable for a while to come

'Fraid knot.

 

[andsarkit]

You could sew on a messager line and pull it out and reverse it and pull back though the other way round.
Where is the damaged bit when the sail is hoisted? If it is the loose tail after the winch, it will not come under any real strain and should be fine for a while.
You will have to replace it at some point so you might as well do it sooner and keep the two good ends of the old halyard for extra mooring ropes or springs.

 

[john_morris_uk]

You could sew on a messager line and pull it out and reverse it and pull back though the other way round.
Where is the damaged bit when the sail is hoisted? If it is the loose tail after the winch, it will not come under any real strain and should be fine for a while.
You will have to replace it at some point so you might as well do it sooner and keep the two good ends of the old halyard for extra mooring ropes or springs.

Or if it’s long enough, just cut the frayed end off, whip the end and either put a new splice in or use a halyard knot to fasten it to the shackle at the head of the sail.

Our main halyard had a splice onto a shackle and it started to fray at the sheave at the masthead. It turned out that if I put a halyard knot onto the shackle instead of a splice it didn’t fray at all. It’s been like that for awhile and fraying problems solved!

 

[jdc]

Previous posts have said that replacing is 'relatively cheap and easy to do'. I agree that replacing is sensible, but cheap it isn't: my halyard was a tad over £400 to replace this year. That's because for the main halyard I have elected to go for thinner rope to reduce friction, and to make it from top quality dyneema. It's perhaps the one rope I really care about.

Incidentally, I use only knots, not splices, in halyards for the reasons that John Morris states.

 

[john_morris_uk]

Previous posts have said that replacing is 'relatively cheap and easy to do'. I agree that replacing is sensible, but cheap it isn't: my halyard was a tad over £400 to replace this year. That's because for the main halyard I have elected to go for thinner rope to reduce friction, and to make it from top quality dyneema. It's perhaps the one rope I really care about.

Incidentally, I use only knots, not splices, in halyards for the reasons that John Morris states.

I agree that my idea of cheap doesn’t seem to agree with one or two others here. Our halyards also cost the thick end of £400 to replace. I’ve changed a few over the years and whilst I don’t begrudge the expense I don’t think of them as cheap. And that’s buying line off the reel and with me doing the splicing and/or whipping.

 

[Beelzebub]

Replace the halyard, cut the damaged one where it is frayed and use the two remaining parts elsewhere, even if they are relegated to part-time mooring lines.

To cut corners trying to make do with faulty running rigging is inviting problems, usually when they are least needed.

 

[AntarcticPilot]

I agree that my idea of cheap doesn’t seem to agree with one or two others here. Our halyards also cost the thick end of £400 to replace. I’ve changed a few over the years and whilst I don’t begrudge the expense I don’t think of them as cheap. And that’s buying line off the reel and with me doing the splicing and/or whipping.

Unless you are using very high tech rope indeed, or your boats are very large, £400 for a halliard seems excessive. My halliards are all about 25m long - to get up to £400 I'd have to be paying £16 a metre for rope (I too do my own splicing and whipping). The stuff I use is around £6 a metre, and is easily strong enough; indeed strengthwise it is considerable overkill. I use cruising dyneema for my jib halliard to avoid stretch, and even that doesn't approach £16 a metre.

 

[ylop]

Unless you are using very high tech rope indeed, or your boats are very large, £400 for a halliard seems excessive. My halliards are all about 25m long - to get up to £400 I'd have to be paying £16 a metre for rope (I too do my own splicing and whipping). The stuff I use is around £6 a metre, and is easily strong enough; indeed strengthwise it is considerable overkill. I use cruising dyneema for my jib halliard to avoid stretch, and even that doesn't approach £16 a metre.

I was just thinking my rigger had done me a bargain deal for replacing mine in dynema including making them up, and fitting them for significantly under £400 Inc vat each!

 

[William_H]

The problem I think of the damage to the halyard is not a question of strength but that the damaged outer will bunch up and foul where it goes over pulleys etc. So if the damage is in that part that goes over pulley then yes replace it as described.
I had a very similar looking damage to my main halyard. The polyester rope tail to the wire halyard. It got caught under the mast base when raising mast and was partly cut. The section where it was damaged was towards the bottom end. I put heat shrink plastic over the damage and confess it remains after quite a few years. From main half way up the damage is not in load circuit. ol'will

 

[sy-Anniina]

I had a very similar looking wear (2nd pic) on our main halyard, directly at the clutch locking the halyard at main-up position. And yes, it failed at 60NM solo passage, luckily not at lee shore tack, but open waters.

 

[Stemar]

use the two remaining parts elsewhere, even if they are relegated to part-time mooring lines.

I wouldn't chuck the bits out, on the basis that it's hard to have too much rope on board and, even if you have, a couple of lengths are good things to keep in the car boot. The one job I wouldn't use them for is mooring. I want elasticity in mooring lines, and I choose halyards for minimum elasticity.

 

[Boathook]

With wear like that on a rope I would be looking as to what is causing it and how to stop it. It is difficult to see whether the inner core has been damaged. If so don't use the rope.
My topping lift had a frayed outer core so I amused myself by using the outer core of another rope to make a sleeve. This winter will tell whether it is still suitable for next year but so far no visible wear noticed from a distance.
I'm with @Stemar , old halyards make bad mooring lines due to lack of stretch but bits of ropes on board are handy for a variety of uses.

 

[Mister E]

The pictures show damage to the outer core as far as I can tell. This is there to protect the inner core that has the strength.
Remove the rope and inspect the rope very carefully at the frayed part for damage to the inner if that is not damaged it will not have lost a significant part of its strength.

Check out the end of reel rope at Marine Scene and you will be paying less than £100 but you will have to splice the eye yourself.