New halyard - what size?

[Colvic Watson]

Need to replace the halyards on the Halcyon 23' i've just bought. What size should I go for, any other things to bear in mind? (Genoa is on a furling system).

The main is very tired how does one find goodish quality second hand sails?

Thanks in advance for your help.

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[oldharry]

6mm Multiplait would be quite strong enough for a Halcyon, but it is more comfortable and easier to handle 8 or even 10 mm - you get a better grip. Check the size of your block at the masthead, unless you plan to replace that as well.
You could use Dyneema or something but it is a lot more expensive and only worth it if you are a racing, in which case you need to invest in a new mainsail, not second hand.

Sails: the best bet is Seateach at Emsworth - www.seateach.com. You need to know the luff and foot size of the sail, as their on line listing does not identify individual class sizes.

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[cliff]

Personally I would go for minimium 3/8th" but preferably 1/2" - not for strength but for ease of handling if your blocks will handle it.

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[charles_reed]

The larger the rope diameter the greater the frictional resistance, what you really need is lack of stretch. For that reason I'd go for Dyneema/Spectra in 8mm. That's really too strong for your boat but anything smaller would be difficult to handle.

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[snowleopard]

if you use dyneema you can strip the outer cover off the part that runs through the mast.

i got 10mm dyneema at £3 / m at a boat jumble last spring.

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[FullCircle]

Replaced all mine on the 23 footer I have with low stretch 8mm at about £1.40/metre and about a fiver to splice an eye and main shackle (supplied), and to whip up the loose end. Bear in mind the blocks and clutches must be the right size for this, as they are difficult to change in the mast/boom.
My boom has a pulley on the outhaul for 4mm, but it was a tight fit to stuff 6mm through it.
Speak to your local rigger, I used Ian Simon in Burnham, who takes the mickey a lot, but did a great job on my Genoa/Spinnaker halyards and standing riggging.

<hr width=100% size=1>Jeanneau 35 - only 13,272 lbs displacement, not even 6 tons,what a lightweight!!!

 

[bruce]

what Cliff is stating is that easier to handle means that the halyard does not cut into your hand when pulling the sail up and tightening it.

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[charles_reed]

Why

would you want to do that?

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[Colvic Watson]

As the genoa is on a roller reefing system and so only gets raised/lowered at the beginning/end of the season, would 6mm be sufficient for that?

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[dickh]

On my Halcyon 23, the halliards were 10mm - much nicer to handle and will last ages. Are you a member of the Halcyon owners association? - you may get a sail there - a very friendly club with lots of technical information, see:-
<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.oycoa.org.uk/index.htm>http://www.oycoa.org.uk/index.htm</A>
Another place for sails is ebay.co.uk - but again you must know the exact size, or even if you can run to new - there will be deals at the LBS in January..

<hr width=100% size=1>dickh
I'd rather be sailing... /forums/images/icons/smile.gif

 

[Colinl]

http://www.secondhand-sails.co.uk/

http://www.tele-sails.com/
http://uksailmakers.com/home.asp
http://www.sailsdirect.com/homepage.asp

Here are some sites secondhand & new

Good luck

Colin

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[oldharry]

The length of halyards on a Halcyon is around 60 feet, and the loadings so comparitively low that anything over 6mm will not stretch enough to matter. As this boat is being fitted on a budget (second hand sails etc) then budget rope - pre stretched terylene, or multiplait - will be entirely satisfactory and fraction of the cost of Dyneema.

The only consideration is the diameter - 8mm will be quite comfortable, and 10 mm ideal if the sheaves are big enough to take it. Anything bigger on a boat this size will be too bulky.

6mm, particulary in hard prestretched terylene, will be unpleasant to handle, so crew will not be so keen to swig it down hard.

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