Mousing halyards

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richardh10

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Have decided to remove and wash all the halyards. So how exactly do you connect the halyard to the mousing cord? I'm thinking some kind of tape, but will that be strong enough? They are all in mast, and the last thing I need is for the halyard and the mousing cord to part company in the mast.
 
I do a whipping round the end of the halyard with the end of the mousing line, about 10 turns. Pulled tight it will not slip off the halyard end. Then to make sure that it doesn't catch on anything I cover the whipping with tape. It makes for a slim knot that is secure and won't get caught up in pulleys. If done tightly however, the whippings a bit difficult to undo, so I leave it in place whilst the halyard is off the mast, cutting the mousing line off leaving a decent tail, which can be tied into a bowline loop for replacing the halyard later.
 
Hi

I always attach the "mouse" with a clove hitch one or two feet from the end of the halyard then several half hitches finishing with a clove hitch at the end. Then using whipping twine I stitch thro' the final clove hitch and lastly smooth the ends by wraping a short length of self amalgamating tape arround the clove hitched ends to stop the joints catching.

All this seems overkill but if you have ever lost the halyard while pulling it thro you will agree that five minutes of "safety first" is worth while.

Regards
 
The best halyards have a whipping with a little loop for the purpose of tying a mousing line to.
Otherwise, sew the halyard to the mousing line. A few turns of decent twine, it takes hald a minute.
From bitter experience of small mouselines fraying or getting caught down the sides of sheaves, I use a fat mouse line. You can get 50ft lengths of horris 3 strand in pound shops which is just the job IMHO.
 
I use a needle and thread. Sew a couple of times through the haliard push the needle out of the middle of the end of the haliard and into the middle of the line you are leading up the mast. Then sew it through a few more times on the new ropes and cut it off. Then get self amalgamating tape to cover the lot so it cannot snag anywhere and all is held tight.
Once hauled though cut at the join and the self amalg tape has already sorted the rope ends
Works brilliantly for me
Martin
 
I use two rolling hitches a few inches apart. I prefer to tape the leading hitch and the end of the halyard with vinyl tape as it slips through more smoothly than self-amalgamating. I have never trusted the loop on its own, due to my pessimistic nature.
 
Halo said:
I use a needle and thread. Sew a couple of times through the haliard push the needle out of the middle of the end of the haliard and into the middle of the line you are leading up the mast. Then sew it through a few more times on the new ropes and cut it off. Then get self amalgamating tape to cover the lot so it cannot snag anywhere and all is held tight.
Once hauled though cut at the join and the self amalg tape has already sorted the rope ends
Works brilliantly for me
Martin
Click to expand...

+ 1
 
When you order new halyards, ask the rigger to sew a small eyelet in the bitter end, using the outer braid. Makes life that much easier, no more worrying how you're going to attach the mousing line.
 
westhinder said:
When you order new halyards, ask the rigger to sew a small eyelet in the bitter end, using the outer braid. Makes life that much easier, no more worrying how you're going to attach the mousing line.
Click to expand...
A tip I was given is to step back from the mast.as far as you can, before pulling new halyard up and through,to make the angle less sever than standing directly under the mast.
 
I seriously doubt the airborne parts need washing or that it would serve any purpose. Why not just take a bucket and was the tail where it is, if it is green? Laundry detergent, warm water, soak for 30 min., agitate, and rinse. Done. No, you can't reach the external bit between the boom and the masthead, but how did that get dirty? It didn't.
 
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I remove my halyards every year before leaving the boat for winter. I attach mousing lines using a loop of galvanised soft iron wire, the same short lengths now for five years. The wire remains on the mousing line, the other end pushes through the rope of the halyard very easily. The whole job, for five halyards and a pole uphaul, takes little more than half an hour.

Originally I used 6 mm polypropylene line bought as a 200 metre roll from a farmers' supplier. After around seven years of use this began to degrade, leaving blue dust everywhere. I replaced it about two seasons ago with Greek cheap line, around 4 mm.
 
I take my lines off each winter, the first year I used some cheap thin line but it degrades and easily tangles so I use 4mm lines that I reuse each year. I have some mousing loops but invariably use a clove hitch and a bit of duck tape. From experience I have never lost a line in this way, my issue is always letting go of the halyard before the line is balanced or secure, I have watched so many times the tail shoot up the mast and the entire halyard form a neat coil of line at my feet!
 
vyv_cox said:
I remove my halyards every year before leaving the boat for winter. I attach mousing lines using a loop of galvanised soft iron wire, the same short lengths now for five years. The wire remains on the mousing line, the other end pushes through the rope of the halyard very easily. The whole job, for five halyards and a pole uphaul, takes little more than half an hour.

Originally I used 6 mm polypropylene line bought as a 200 metre roll from a farmers' supplier. After around seven years of use this began to degrade, leaving blue dust everywhere. I replaced it about two seasons ago with Greek cheap line, around 4 mm.
Click to expand...
Thanks Vyv. I was just about to ask a (thread drift) question regarding the most suitable diameter line for this purpose.
 
thinwater said:
I seriously doubt the airborne parts need washing or that it would serve any purpose. ....
Click to expand...

Around Portsmouth, they seem to collect a large amount of smuts, guano, salt etc etc.
Cleaning them makes them go around the sheaves a little better.
Also it's good to check for chafe.
There's also regrettably a theft risk leaving anything over the winter.
I like to get as much clutter off the boat as possible, then the clutches etc can be cleaned and checked, and the deck can be kept clean more easily.
If the mast is coming out, I would remove as much as possible.
 
westhinder said:
When you order new halyards, ask the rigger to sew a small eyelet in the bitter end, using the outer braid. Makes life that much easier, no more worrying how you're going to attach the mousing line.
Click to expand...
Rigger did that for me on a new halyard. I copied it for some others. Makes it really quick to pull and inspect a halyard which means it's a job that gets done rather than put off.
As others I attach the mousing line with a bowline and tape over it. Not been caught out yet!
 
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