how to prevent halyard wrapping round crosstrees

[rondapom]

In 'Tamata and the Alliance' Bernard Motessier shows Ugo the things he did to Joshua to make life easier: one of them was a system to keep halyards from fouling the cross trees when he had to drop sail in a hurry. Any idea what that was?

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[richardandtracy]

Halyard in cross trees.

No, but I can suggest one..

Go for a junk rig. No cross trees, so no stuck halyards.

The simplest ideas are always the best. Well, sometimes.

Regards

Richard.


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[johnsomerhausen]

Re: Halyard in cross trees.

Moitessier probably used the system I use: pass the fall of the main halyard around a cleat, winch or any fitting below the gooseneck, bring it up around the "hoist" of the halyard just above the mainsail headboard and back down, give a pull to tighten both fall and "hoist" and cleat below the gooseneck. Since I hadn't read Tamata, I didn't realize he had invented it...
john

 

[beneteau_305_553]

If the tail of the halyard goes round a block at the bottom of the mast the back up to the headboard of the sail this can prevent the halyard from becoming too slack but it has to have enough slack to go onto a cleat on the mast.

Another way is to use a down haul on the main so that you pay out on the halyard as you take in on the downhaul. Have a stop knot in the halyard so that it is tight when the sail is fully down.

I had the main halyard too slack when reefing and it went the wrong side of the cross trees and the nav light half way up the mast when sailing at night single handed. Nearly winched off the light when I went to tighten up on the halyard! I had to stow the main and sort it out next day.

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