mouse line

[jaycee]

on my mizzen mast there are two lines running from top to bottom. one is the boom lift the other is the sheet halyard. my problem is that when renewing the sheet halyard i used the boom line as a feeder and now have both the boomlift and the halyard mouseline coming over boomlift roller. the mast is approx. 30ft.and at the top are the 2 rollers seperated by a steel plate making it extremely difficult to get the mouse line over to the correct roller. any suggestions please.

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[Evadne]

I presume that the mast is up and/or removing the sheaves or their block is not an option?
Do you have one of those flexible grasping instruments? Its like a steel clad bowden cable with a button at one end and some little hooks that come out of the other end when you press it. You might be able to get one of them through the sheave and grab the lines inside the mast. Alternatively coathanger wire with a small crochet-sized hook in the end might do the same job. I've been trying to think of a way you could feed a line in through the empty block and around the line(s) to pull them through, but without seeing it, it's not easy.
Either way, good luck it sounds like a tricky job.

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[MIKE_MCKIE]

The only way I can think of is to get a mast ladder & use whichever full sized line you have to get up to the top of the mast & move the mouse line over by hand. It is probable that the mast-top roller is an enclosed sheave, so you may have to take a weighted mouse line up with you & drop it down the inside, to be fished out by a willing assistant (in my case the assistant would be up the mast & me on deck!!)
Best of luck
Mike

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[john_morris_uk]

Try a length of chain (old cycle chain?) as the weight for a weighted mouse line that you can feed over the correct sheave from the top. On big boats I've used a number of small shackles linked together to give the same effect but chain is better because you can push it over the sheave more easily.

Hook the line out with a wire coat hanger or similar as a hook from the bottom of the mast. Try to ensure the halyards aren't crossed too much - bit like whistling for the moon I know, but you can sometimes choose which side of the other lines to hook from.

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[jerryat]

Hi John,

I like your idea of chain and think it's probably better than my usual way out of this dilemma, which is to use fishing line with a string of those little split shot weights clamped on. This is used exactly as your chain version and is then used to draw a normal mouse line through then the halyard etc.

Only devised method many years ago as had that sort of gear on board at the time and needs must!!

Good sailing!

<hr width=100% size=1>