HELP please with my centaur mast

KimGoneFeral

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Good morning everyone,

I am getting my mast ready to raise it. (Complete newbie here, if no one noticed the first time round) but for the life of me cannot find where the halyards go through the mast. I cannot see any way where they would come out on the sides once they are in from the top.
Do the halyards run down the inside of the mast? or do they go down the outside.... Is there perhaps a diagram that can show me how to install the halyards, running rigging and so forth?
help please good people, would be very much appreciated.
 
I suspect that they go through the masthead, so all outside at the front and back of the mast. A picture of the masthead would confirm that would show 2 sheaves on the back and front of the mast.

A picture of my masthead and you can just see the 2 pulleys at the back of the mast for the main and jib halyard. The block hanging at the top is for the spinnaker and the one at the bottom is for the topping. The thin lines are 'mousing' lines.
 

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Just to add to that, the 2 aft sheaves are for main halyard and topping lift and the 2 forward for foresail halyards
 
Don’t forget you can join the Westerly Owners association very cheaply -assuming you halyards are off the mast yo might wat to replace any old ones with new ones from say jimmy green or such like before rerigging .
 
Indeed our 1976 centaur fresh out of the waterlooville factory had external very basic rope halyards ,no wire or dynema then and 2 external winches on mast plus the boom roller handle to reef on front. Brass hanks on the Ratsey Lapthorn sails in heavy or very heavy weight sails. Kicking strap/vang was a claw round boom. .
 
Indeed our 1976 centaur fresh out of the waterlooville factory had external very basic rope halyards ,no wire or dynema then and 2 external winches on mast plus the boom roller handle to reef on front. Brass hanks on the Ratsey Lapthorn sails in heavy or very heavy weight sails. Kicking strap/vang was a claw round boom. .
Fancy stuff. I’m sure we had to remove the kicker when reefed on our Cirrus. I think there was only a snubbing winch on the mast, though on second thoughts I’m pretty sure I had to swig the halyards tight on the cleat alone. The sheet winches were Gibb bottom-action that were near useless.
 
Centaurs had boom claws to eliminate the need for removing the kicking strap when rolling the sail on the boom.
 
I suspect that they go through the masthead, so all outside at the front and back of the mast. A picture of the masthead would confirm that would show 2 sheaves on the back and front of the mast.

A picture of my masthead and you can just see the 2 pulleys at the back of the mast for the main and jib halyard. The block hanging at the top is for the spinnaker and the one at the bottom is for the topping. The thin lines are 'mousing' lines.
Thank you so very much for the image. another big ask please. is there any way you could label and show me what lines must go where? i know there are the two for the boom and then obviously for the sails.... but not got a clue and cannot find a diagram on the interwebs for the life of me!
 
Thank you so very much for the image. another big ask please. is there any way you could label and show me what lines must go where? i know there are the two for the boom and then obviously for the sails.... but not got a clue and cannot find a diagram on the interwebs for the life of me!
Really need a picture of your masthead as it might be different from mine.

Ive looked on line and cant find a sensible image. Will have to draw something as I'm useless with editing pictures unlike some here.

Is there anyone you could ask at the yard ?
 
Another picture of my masthead. Ignore the spikes on the light and windvane. It was an attempt to stop birds using it as a perch.
I have done a poor drawing showing the haliards. Normally the headsail one is on the port side and the main to starboard.
100_2002 1.JPG20250515_203359.jpg
 
I took on a project chieftan. Same as centaur but with a rear cabin. The boat had been stripped. I sourced some sails and discovered that even though the masthead had the twin pulley wheels like the pic in #2 there was no where for the halyards to exit the mast ??
I couldn't work out how it was previously rigged.
I bought a few halyard exit plates, cut two slots in the mast and fitted them. Works great.
 
I took on a project chieftan. Same as centaur but with a rear cabin. The boat had been stripped. I sourced some sails and discovered that even though the masthead had the twin pulley wheels like the pic in #2 there was no where for the halyards to exit the mast ??
I couldn't work out how it was previously rigged.
I bought a few halyard exit plates, cut two slots in the mast and fitted them. Works great.
My picture in post 2 shows the pulleys at the front of the mast. At the rear are two identical pulleys so the main and head sail haliards go through the top of the mast appearing front and back.
 
My picture in post 2 shows the pulleys at the front of the mast. At the rear are two identical pulleys so the main and head sail haliards go through the top of the mast appearing front and back.
😵. Looks like i missed the obvious. Thanks for pointing it out again as i missed it the first time around, so did others when i was trying to figure it out..
The front had two halyards that went up and back down at the front. I never thought a halyard would go across the top of the mast and out the other side..
 
Another picture of my masthead. Ignore the spikes on the light and windvane. It was an attempt to stop birds using it as a perch.
I have done a poor drawing showing the haliards. Normally the headsail one is on the port side and the main to starboard.
View attachment 193480View attachment 193481
Thank you THANK YOU!! mine looks just like this, and with your (and some dudes at the yard) help, my mast is up!!
Thank you very much....
now, to try and figure out how to put on the lazy jacks and lazy jack bag, and from there... how to sail! lol (Joking... kinda)
 
Thank you THANK YOU!! mine looks just like this, and with your (and some dudes at the yard) help, my mast is up!!
Thank you very much....
now, to try and figure out how to put on the lazy jacks and lazy jack bag, and from there... how to sail! lol (Joking... kinda)
My lazy Jack's set up. Been using this layout for many years as done by the sailmaker when I had my first fully battened main.

20250519_215034.jpg
 
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