Hockles in a 2:1 headsail halyard

[rogerthebodger]

OK now I get it, it rather like a spinnaker furler and the most important item is the torque luff rope.

I agree with LW395 the luff rope must be allowing the halyard to twist in some way.

 

[lw395]

LW - correct, very perceptive - its the cover moving over the core - but this can be arrested by leaving the rope on the winch. Its a common problem and strict instructions are given to people not familiar - NOT to take the halyard off the winch!! when the sail is in use.

You cannot take the cover off - because you then cannot lock the bare dyneema. You could, I assume, sew the cover to the, dyneema, core , or splice the dyneema into a non-dyneema tail - but its easier to simply use the winch and leave the halyard on the winch (basic belt and braces). We have used this system for 20 years - and we have the winches to allow it to work, 2 on the mast, 3 in the cockpit and another on the cabin (coach) roof.. If you were short of winches it would be more of an issue.
.....

You take the cover off from some point between clutch and sail, to the sail.
If you taper that in, it locks the cover to the core at the taper.
If you need to leave the rope on the winch, your clutch doesn't do the job, you ought to get rid of it, it's just damaging the rope.


I think you are at a point where I would be talking to a rope-maker like Marlow, and/or a clutch maker, or a race boat fitter-outer, to get advice on a combination of rope and clutch that would work happily.
Possibly your clutch is worn out if you've had it 20 years?
Or just make arrangements to cleat the rope after the winch. In the old days a lot of yachts had one winch dedicated to each major string and a simple horn cleat to lock each line.

 

[Neeves]

LW,

Your advise is sound, we effectively do what you suggest in your final sentence.

I cannot recall who makes the clutches - but they are standard near top of the range - but they may be worn out - but the others, around 10-12 of them, work perfectly. However the screecher clutch is the one that takes, factorially?, most tension. Maybe I should swap the clutches round, swap the little used spinnaker, which also has a cam cleat for quick release, halyard clutch for the screecher clutch.

I'm not sure your advise solves the hockling

Jonathan

 

[Neeves]

Thank you for all the advise it helps to have the input from others, who seem to know what they are talking about.

We will mouse and remove the halyard and stream off the stern. We will stop coiling the halyard (I think we might then need a bigger halyard bag, easy!)

Based on progress we will then revisit - watch this space!

My other thought is to furl the sail before hoisting, currently we hoist unfurled and when it jambs its a devil to work with in even the slightest breeze as communication from masthead to deck demands strong lungs!

I think we can furl by stretching the luff between 2 points with, condemned anchor (nice to think they might have a use), swivels at each end and a few pairs of hands (that's what children are for).

Jonathan