how to make a mouse

[paddydog63]

I want to wash all my running rigging but dont want to take down the mast. Has anyone detailed instructions on how to attach halyards etc to a mouse. I haven't done this before and would welcome clear practical advice
Thank you

 

[bigwow]

We just tie a length of cheap blue rope to the end, bind it in masking tape, then pull the halliard out leaving the blue rope ready to pull the halliard back up when clean.

 

[Billjratt]

Proper halyards have a loop built in to the end whipping for exactly this purpose.
If yours don't, it might be a good time to add them.
Otherwise use a bit of that green line that the fishermen use and leave all over the place - it's a hollow braid which can be put over the end of your sheet and taped. It will grip hard when pulled and can then be joined to your cheap string mouse.

 

[lw395]

When you say 'make a mouse', to some people that means a device for threading halyards from scratch, a weighted line of some sort to drop down the mast. You want to avoid that if possible!
What you want to do is to remove your halyards, repleacing them with mouse lines. Basically its all about how do you secure another line end to end with your halyard.
Firstly, for the mouse line, I recommend something about 6mm diameter, I have used cheapo 3 strand poly, the 50ft hanks from a pound shop are ideal (2 tied together for a big boat). You can use a smaller line, but, once in a while it will jam down the side of a sheave or something, and if you leave it a long time it can chafe etc.
Tie a knot in the free end of the mouseline!
Make sure the ends of both the halyard and the mouseline are well sealed or whipped, then simply sew them end to end with say 5 stitches of whipping twine. Then tape over the join to ease it over the pulleys. You should then be able to pull the halyard out, replacing it with the mouse line. You can then either take it home or wash it in a plastic storage box on deck.
Don't leave the snap shackles soaking in detergent for days on end, do clean and lube them afterwards!

 

[Katouf]

I have long lengths of ex-BT cable line (the thin light blue polypropylene rope used for pulling cables through conduits under pavements and discarded in skips by the engineers) and use this as the mouse.
I then use nylon whipping twine to join the mouse to the whipped end of the halyard tying off both ends in a rolling hitch; at least two lengths of twine for safety's sake and then cover in electricians tape to produce a smooth feed.
Pull gently on the other end of the halyard and try to get the mouse as high as possible to feed into the sheeve from a near horizontal position rather than forcing the taped join to turn through 180 degrees as it goes through the mast.
Don't forget that the mouse must be twice the length of the mast with some to spare for making both ends fast afterwards.
The joining method may seem a bit over the top for security but the price of a parted line could be an expensive crane hire to get the mast down and up again, unless you've got a spare halyard capable of taking a bosun's chair and a volunteer to help you. I speak from experience /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

Alan

 

[alahol2]

Main point made above is that the mouse line MUST be big enough to prevent it slipping down the edge of a sheave. If it does you will never get the halyard back up again and you could be into bosuns chair at best, crane at worst.

 

[paddydog63]

Thanks for your useful advice folks

I'll have a go

 

[saltwater_gypsy]

PS While you are at it, drop by the fishing shop and get a box of the small spherical clip- on lead weights. You will thank me on the day that your halyard pulls completely out of the mast and you have to thread another one in.

 

[William_H]

The essence of attaching a mouse line to a halyard is firstly strength of the join and secondly a join that is the same profile as the halyard itself and flexible so that it will go into and through the sheave without catching.
I think I would prefer to use a size of rope similar to the halyard. With a smaller rope it will be no problem getting the halyard out but when you refit the halyard any great step up in size might create a step to get caught on things. Put a little tape around the join. Not so much as to make the join inflexible but enough to cover any ends that might get caught.
I must say I would not (have never) washed my halyards.
good luck olewill

 

[robind]

A carpenters "mouse" consists of a short piece of bycycle chain (50/100mm long) and sufficient /suitable strength line to attach to the cordage!