Replacing halyards withmast up

[TwinRudders]

I need to replace my spinnaker and genoa halyards. I'm hoping to do this with the mast up and was planning on attaching the new halyard to the old one with a some fishing line, and hopefully being able to pull the new one through. My concern is that if I lose the end of the old one inside the mast I'll be a bit scuppered... Especially as the halyard for the spinn exits the mast about 1/3 up.

The boat is a Beneteau First 285. I presume the halyards all just run freely inside the mast with perhaps the electrical cables inside a conduit. I'm just nervous of getting into a right old mess with it!

Any advice gratefully received!

J

 

[boatmike]

Stitch the new halyard to the old one with tough nylon line so that it butts up with no knots. Tape over the join with a couple of tightly wound turns of insulating tape.
Should pull through without trouble

 

[aitchw]

Stitch the the ends together end to end and tape over the join an inch or so either side, Electrical tape (or heat shrink sleeve pre threaded onto one of the lines which is better). Don't make the join too bulky. Ease the join gently over sheaves and don't tug hard if you meet some resistance.

Good luck

 

[fireball]

I've just run new reefing lines through the boom - significantly shorted and in the garage!!
I used kite string to attach the new line to the old one - rolling hitch a few inches from the end and a clove hitch on the end. As the kite string is significantly thiner it digs in just behind the melted end of your new halyard.

Personally I would think that feeding the new line in from the top is better, ok it means someone at the top of the mast for the duration, but then the joining string is used to guide the new line through rather than pull the whole line. At the exit point it may require a little coaxing through - angled bit of thin metal rod (coat hanger or, I used an allenkey cos it was handy) - as your not likely to want two people up the mast I would suggest feeding extra line in from the top, then put a simple slip not in somewhere easy (so it doesn't just fall back out).

The problem of feeding in through the top is getting there and ensuring your suitably fastened whilst there... personally I'm not bothered cos I like heights!

 

[Robin]

It is no problem to do with the mast up, but don't use fishing line as it is thin enough to jump off and jam between the sheaves and the side of the mast top box. Better to buy if you don't have something a decent piece of line like you would use later for fitting the cockpit dodgers or for flag halyards. You will need to pull the messenger line through completely first, then attach the new halyard and pull it back into place. Use a series of clove hitches or a timber hitch (??. clove hitch with an extra hitch above the 2 normal ones) and tape the join to give a smooth taper from halyard to messenger line that doesn't jam up somewhere. It is easier to do than to describe how to do it, all will be clear when you do it, just think twice, then once more and pull (gently) once....

 

[dralex]

I've done this quite a lot now and use waxed whipping line to stitch the two ends together. The tape is important , but as has been said already, don't make the joint too bulky or it will jam. I find about 10 back and forward runs of stitching is plenty- try it and you'll be surprised how strong it is. Make sure you stitch a good 20-30mm back from each end, or the stitches can pull out.

 

[LORDNELSON]

If you use the old halyard to pull the new one through do not make the joint too stiff with tape. There are some quite small radii at the top of some masts and if the joint is too stiff it may well jam. I speak from personal experience! I prefer to use a "mouse" of about 2mm diameter. Sew a loop at the end of the existing halyard (look at any profesionally rigged boat to see how to make the loop). Attach the mouse line to the existing halyard and pull through so that the old halyard is completely out of the mast and the mouse completely in. Sew a loop in the end of the new halyard, attach mouse to it and pull through. I find this works pretty well. The loops you have sewed in can be left in place, they are jolly useful when you need to do the same thing when fitting out in following years. Good luck!

 

[Guest]

Stitching the end of the new to the end of the old is way to go .... but do not butt up to each too tightly. Butt them up but only just touching - so that they can be a little free to take the turn around sheeves etc. A SINGLE layer of tape to smooth out the contours of the joint and which keeps the ends in line with each other. The reason for single layer and not layers of tape .... is to try and keep the joint supple enough to pass over the sheeves.

Taken carefully - it will go ..... when end is coming down through mast - it is not unusual to hit the spreader compression bar inside the mast - it keeps the mast sides from collapsing in - so pull back a bit and try again .... you will find that it may take quite a few attempts to get past that point.

It can be done .... the trick is to get the joint to be supple enough for bends, no bigger than the original rope and no hefty yanking pulls !! Steady positive style pull is better ....

 

[tome]

Some good advice here. If using a mouse or lighter line, keep some tension on both ends to prevent it jumping the sheave and jamming down the side.

 

[Abigail]

Have just done this ourselves on several in mast lines. Some not very pretty stitching with waxed whipping twine, using a sailmakers needle, a few cm back, worked very well. I hadn't heard of the taping tip and will try it next time!

Make sure the ends are really butted up against each other to minimise the opportunity for snagging. Mousing rings are great but I haven't quite got the hang yet. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

BTW - allow the time for your fingers to get frostbite while you do the sewing. When we did a new one a few weeks ago it took twice as long as planned simply because I got really cold in the middle!

HTH

 

[ditchcrawler]

I have used the stiching method several times,but I use self amalgamating tape on the join because you can pull it really tight.I also spray join with teflon spray or similar to ease it over the sheave.It helps if you can make a large angle for the join to enter the mast by standing as far away as possible & holding the rope.Two people make this job easier

 

[Colvic Watson]

Yep definately mousing not fishing line - apart from jumping off the blocks it kinks very easily. Just done our running rigging and it was a doddle - but scared us both at the prospect of loosing a line! Keep tension on both the mousing and the old/new halyard and tie the ends of both to a cleat or guardrail, the halyard is much heavier than the mousing and it will run it through if you let go of the mousing!

 

[jimboaw]

An old fart (me) came up with a solution to this problem. Not 100% perfect but it has not let me down yet. Consider the way we older folks hang our important eyewear around our necks? A tube of soft(ish) rubber is folded back(rather like the application of a condom) on the end of the new line and then onto the old. It works. I would suggest a 3 inch min. and take it easey.

 

[Guest]

Tubing joints ?

another way may be to use heat shrink tubing ... that will really grip the ends ...... even a sly stitch just to stop the start of 'slippage' ???

 

[William_H]

Most halyard rope is a braided type with an inner rope and an outer sheath so when joining cut the ends of the new and old rope and push back the sheath. Melt the end of the inner of one of the two ropes and cut the outer sheath back about 6 inches of that rope. On the other rope push back the sheath and cut the inner off the same length. Now the inner of the first can be pushed into the outer of the other by 6 inches. You now sew the ends of the inners together push the outer over the join to meet the other outer and sew together now sew through the inner and outer sideways so that you end up with a splice no thicker than original and just as flexible. Use tape only if the join of the outer sheath is ragged and then a nminimu8m tape so it won't thicken or stiffen the splice.
if all else fails and you lose the halyard then you need to remove the fittings from the mast ie at the spin hal outlet and shove up or down the mast a piece of stiff wire which can be hooked at the required outlet to get an end out. Obviously it needs to have the mast on the ground. If your main halyard is in place then that can be used to haul up a messenger string which again can be hooked as it passes the outlet hole. These options of course may see the new halyard running on the wrong side of through bolts at the spreaders etc. In which case you remove the through bolt pull the halyards tight and refit the through bolt hoping the halyards are on the correct side. (If it matters) all lots of fun. lets hope it is an easy job for you. regards will

 

[TwinRudders]

OK thanks for all the advice. Seems like the point is take a lot of trouble to get a very smooth and secure seam between new and old halyard and gently pull through.

If it fails and you lose the end inside the mast - I guess you would have to get the mast down and start poking a coat hanger or similar to pull it through...

 

[tim3057]

....or suck a new mouse line through with a vacuum cleaner I read the other day! /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

 

[aitchw]

Oh ye of little faith!

It will be fine and if you get to a point where you think there's too much resistance back it out, check your join and try again.

a donf