Ships_Cat
Well-Known Member
No, I did not do it Tony. The slices were done by a rigger.
John
John
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Main halyard, knot or splice?
- Thread starter Robin
- Start date
William_H
Well-Known Member
If space between the main halyard sheave and the headboard is short then you should dispense with the shackle and tie the halyard directly on to the headboard. Make sure there are no sharp edges on the headboard hole and relieve the edges with a file. if you need even more room separate the inner from the outer sheath of the halyared rope. tease a hole in the sheath about 20 cm from the end and pull the inner out through the hole. It should be possible now to pull the sheath so that you have the halyard splitting in to two ropes. Pass one rope through the headboard hole from one side and the other from the other side. If there is room pass each rope through the hole again. The ends of each rope can be tied together in a reef knot or if space is still short you couuld drill another hole in the headboard away from the mast to tie the ends on or even use small U bolts one each side passing through small holes in the headboard to clamp the two rope tails. (ie tie them together or separately away from the halyard connection to the headboard). This method should give you a few more inches of room for tightening the luff. Keep an eye on the halyard for cutting or damage an addition of tape or similar may alleviate the chafe. Remember of course that this may cause the leach to foul the backstay. You might then consider extendintg or building a crane to extend the backstay attachment aft horozontally to clear it from the leach. Looking at other boats I think it is often a shame how much the mast extends beyond the top of the mainsail. (all good balast exactly where you don't want it.)
in my case I made a mistake in ordering a new sail and the luff was a little too long. I moved the gooseneck down (not a good solution) and at the halyard attachment ( wire halyard with loop swaged in) I dispensed with the shackle and bought the eye with thimble down next to the headboard to take a bolt through the eye and headboard hole. To balance the pull I have a piece of S/S with an elongated hiole in one end which just fits the loop and thimble when passed through it. when turned sideways the thimble and loop lock the plate which has hole in it level with the bolt through the headboard. The result is that I get the length of the shackle gained in halyard pull before the swage meets the sheave which is pretty close to all the way up with the sail luff. This method may be ok for your eye worked into the rope halyard but be carefull of sharp edges on the plate or perhaps you could use a lashing of whipping twine from the bolt back to a point above the eye to balance the load. Remember at most this takes only half the halyard load.
The ideas are coming thick and fast as I typpe. For even more room you need to drill another hole in the headboard below the exiisting hole. It may need an eyeleyt fitted to smooth the pressure. Cut th3e headboard above the original hole so that the halyard can pass through the headboard in a straight vertical direction. In the original hole of the headboard you nay be able to fit a knot or a device similar to that described so that at the top of the headboard you have only smooth halyard exiting. Just beware as the headboard gets close to the sheave you may find tha attachment hole is too far aft of the luff and sheave exit such that pull can be forward rather than up. You really need the headboard attachment close to the sheave exit ie in vertical line as you get it very close. Of course both of these fixes make it not very convenient to remove the halyard from the headboard but that is a small price to pay. PM me if you are confused and want more description. I hope this gives you some ideas regards olewill.
in my case I made a mistake in ordering a new sail and the luff was a little too long. I moved the gooseneck down (not a good solution) and at the halyard attachment ( wire halyard with loop swaged in) I dispensed with the shackle and bought the eye with thimble down next to the headboard to take a bolt through the eye and headboard hole. To balance the pull I have a piece of S/S with an elongated hiole in one end which just fits the loop and thimble when passed through it. when turned sideways the thimble and loop lock the plate which has hole in it level with the bolt through the headboard. The result is that I get the length of the shackle gained in halyard pull before the swage meets the sheave which is pretty close to all the way up with the sail luff. This method may be ok for your eye worked into the rope halyard but be carefull of sharp edges on the plate or perhaps you could use a lashing of whipping twine from the bolt back to a point above the eye to balance the load. Remember at most this takes only half the halyard load.
The ideas are coming thick and fast as I typpe. For even more room you need to drill another hole in the headboard below the exiisting hole. It may need an eyeleyt fitted to smooth the pressure. Cut th3e headboard above the original hole so that the halyard can pass through the headboard in a straight vertical direction. In the original hole of the headboard you nay be able to fit a knot or a device similar to that described so that at the top of the headboard you have only smooth halyard exiting. Just beware as the headboard gets close to the sheave you may find tha attachment hole is too far aft of the luff and sheave exit such that pull can be forward rather than up. You really need the headboard attachment close to the sheave exit ie in vertical line as you get it very close. Of course both of these fixes make it not very convenient to remove the halyard from the headboard but that is a small price to pay. PM me if you are confused and want more description. I hope this gives you some ideas regards olewill.
Benbow
Well-Known Member
[ QUOTE ]
The knot you are thinking about is the buntline hitch (you will find it on Google), but I don't know if it is any good in Dyneema.
[/ QUOTE ]
Indded the buntline hitch is also known as the topsail hitch, because it is used on gaff topsails to allow the head to go right onto the block.
I have spent many happy hours with a spike on a rolling deck with a flogging topsail flapping around my knees becuase some bloody purist has used the 'right' knot.
Trust me, it jams.
The knot you are thinking about is the buntline hitch (you will find it on Google), but I don't know if it is any good in Dyneema.
[/ QUOTE ]
Indded the buntline hitch is also known as the topsail hitch, because it is used on gaff topsails to allow the head to go right onto the block.
I have spent many happy hours with a spike on a rolling deck with a flogging topsail flapping around my knees becuase some bloody purist has used the 'right' knot.
Trust me, it jams.