Hunter main halyard friction

[Roj]

I'm encountering a few problems with friction in the main halyard system on my Hunter Pilot 27. Basically, even when head-to-wind, the main hoist feels pretty heavy and when dropping the main it take a good pull on the luff to persuade the sail down. I replaced the main halyard this season with 10mm rather than the previous 12 which helped a little.
Any thoughts? I guess the obvious thing is to lubricate the track but I'm not sure about the best thing to use (or the best way to do it).
Many thanks

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[boatless]

Roj, best and cheapest is a candle rubbed heavily into the track, as high as you can get it if you're not up for a climb. It will gradually transfer itself upwards, so keep putting more in. Much more likely to be that than a halyard problem, but you can check that easily enough by running it up and down without the sail. There could either be a crossover internally, or a seized sheave top or bottom.

<hr width=100% size=1>my opinion is complete rubbish, probably.

 

[nordic_ranger]

You can lubricate the track with any Silicone based spray material eg. furniture polish, car cockpit shine or if you are feeling afluent there are special sprays that you can buy from your chandler that will do the same job. Just spray plenty of the product you use on to your sliders as you hoist your sail. A good spray usually last a season.
Next time you have your mast down check the pulley wheels for ware or jamming.

Good luck.

Jim.

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[alan]

If you have that much fricion, then I would check all the block sheaves : mast head, mast foot, deck organiser ......
I had a mast foot block with a seized sheave which causing me a lot of sweat to raise the sail from the cockpit, but when I raised the sail from the mast it was relatively easy ......... a quick check showed the sheave in the mast foot turning block stuck fast!!

As already said above, check the friction of the halyard without the sail.

Spraying with silicone e.t.c. will help, but if it really such hard work then I would suggest there is a "mechanical" problem somewhere.

(You could always get the crew to raise and lower the main!!; this will not solve the problem, but will also not strain your arms)

Good luck.
Alan.
Nettuno, Italy.



<hr width=100% size=1>Alan Cloke

 

[Hardley]

If at the mast head you have two sheaves, ie Main hal'yard in front of Topping lift shreave, then I would suggest that you look there.
I had the same problem after fitting new Main hal'yard, over three years ago, the problem got worse, each year,tried all sorts of lubricant in the mast track to no availe.
This season it got so bad, that it took two of us swinging on the main sail to get it down.
Had the mast down three time in two weeks and finaly came to the conclusion that the topping lift was jamming the main hal'yard, solution was to take the topping lift round its shreave at the mast head, then down the outside of the mast to a turning block and back to the cockpit.
Will sort the problem out during winter refit.
Main sail now falls down when hal'yard is released.

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