Halyard age

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ReggieK

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My haliards are all now six years old from new. Though they look o.k. I would hate the hassle if one failed.
How long would you guys leave your haliards before replacing them?
 
great question and a subject I ask myself every year. Mine are 5 years old, like yours from new. I've even carried around with us a complete set of replacements for ALL the running rigging for the last 4 years but the Scots blood in me, or perhaps I should say the "Scotch" in me won't allow me to do it until I beleive I have to. Mine also look in reasonable shape even after 30,000M. Have you, or anyone else ever had one go mid sail? If so, how old was it and what was it like?
 
I have has a couple of halyards break in use over the years, both times while racing in strong winds, one was circa 20 years old and a wire/rope combination that was popular before Dynema/Kevlar came along, the other was about 10 year old dynema and had been chaffing. If your halyards are only 5-6 years old and the outer sleeves are in good condition they should be fine for many years to come.

It's not a massive problem when they break, you will hear a bit of a bang and the luff will crease up. Both times it happened to me the rope did not pull through the mast so I could easily thread a new one.
 
Never had one go. However, hate the idea of having to thread a new one through mast. Have often had to do it in dinghies and that was difficult enough.
it would be great to get 20 years, maybe I can relax a bit!
 
I've had my boat 5 yrs now and it's now 30yrs old. I suspect they are at least 15 yrs old, or may even be original. They are far oversized for what they do(12mmØ). Apart from checking them yearly for chafe and redoing an eyesplice once I'm going to leave them alone. They get put in the washing machine every couple of years.
 
Would think it could be prudent to end for end them and thereby give them the full inspection at pulley exits and jammers. My halyards are OK but I do check them every so often,as they are all rope ,not wire, and externally rigged,so have to be kept away from the mast when not in use.
I must learn how to splice the braided rope, then I can make up some mooring lines . I had a book somewhere.....Knot and Splices!!

ianat182
 
That's probably a good idea to end for end them. It means cutting off the snap shackles and re splicing them, though. However, it would be easier than re threading them through the mast.
 
Your halyards sound fairly new compared with some of mine. I don't race but have not had one fail yet. I mainly replace when outer sleeve starts to fail or the rope starts to stretch to much.
 
The only halyards I've had fail have been Kevlar, FMEA was by fatigue in every case. As a result there is no Kevlar running rigging on the boat now.

I have had one dyneema one let go, but that was due to UV degradation of the nylon whipping holding the shackle on.

I do end-for-end all my running rigging on a bi-annual basis. The last main halyard had done 12 years and the change was purely precautionary due wear on the outer casing at each end, where the halyard went through the jamming cleat. The foresail halyard, of pre-stretched polyester was changed after 14 years due, again, to outer casing degradation.

I'd confidently expect about twice the time you quote, out of your halyards.
 
Halyard life

For a mainsail halyard that is lowered each time the sail is used I think inspection is the key to knowing about the condition. I think fraying will be the first sign of impending failure.
However if it is on a furling jib where the halyard is not used (looked at) for the season then there is reason for concern. The jib should be occasionally lowered for inspection of the halyard. Check the areas where it runs over pulleys and goes into cleats/clutch.
Easier than end for ending any halyard is to use a knot at the sail rather than snap shackle. Each time you remove the sail you put the knot in a different place so moving chafe points pulleys clutch and the sail attachment so extending the life of the halyard.
This is obviously not applicable to wire halyards. Good luck olewill
 
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