Replacing Lost Spinnaker Halyard?!

[boatman2020]

I have recently taken ownership of a Hunter Legend 36. The spinnaker halyard is missing so I have got to figure out the best way to replace it as the old one is not there to help guide the new on through the mast. Before I get hoisted up the mast I want to be sure of what can be expected! Is there a channel in the mast so if I thread the new line down the mast is it likely to come out of the hole at the bottom for the spinnaker or is it going to be a pain to thread through? Any tips and ideas will be appreciated.

 

[Concerto]

There will be no conduit, you will need to drop a mouse line down the mast. The best weight is a short length of bicycle chain. At the base of the mast remove the block you want to use at the bottom of the mast. Then connect some long electical ties to make a length of about 750 mm. Insert the middle of the electrical ties in until a loop surrounds the the inside of the mast. Now drop the weighted mouse line down and drops into the mast foot. Then use the electrical ties to pull the chain out of the mast base. Now use the mouse line to feed the halyard inside the mast.

 

[owen]

as per concerto but i used a bent bicycle spoke to fish out the bicycle chain together with a magnet applied to the outside of the mast to guide the chain over.

 

[rib]

There will be no conduit, you will need to drop a mouse line down the mast. The best weight is a short length of bicycle chain. At the base of the mast remove the block you want to use at the bottom of the mast. Then connect some long electical ties to make a length of about 750 mm. Insert the middle of the electrical ties in until a loop surrounds the the inside of the mast. Now drop the weighted mouse line down and drops into the mast foot. Then use the electrical ties to pull the chain out of the mast base. Now use the mouse line to feed the halyard inside the mast.

Or if you don't have a bike chain handy. A line of suitable sized nuts about 4/6 inches long does the trick also

 

[Hoolie]

Alternatively you could use your foresail halyard to draw a mouse line up the mast and lead it over the sheave at the top. Then at least you know it won't get snarled up somewhere inside the mast.

Actually my suggestion is based on the configuration on our mast where the halyards exit through slots/fittings several feet up from the foot. Clearly bicycle chain on a mouse line wouldn't work.

 

[NormanS]

Or if you don't have a bike chain handy. A line of suitable sized nuts about 4/6 inches long does the trick also

I can't see any advantage in using bicycle chain. It has the distinct disadvantage that it can't bend in all directions. I agree with using small nuts threaded onto a line. I use a piece of copper wire with a hook formed in the end to pull the line/nuts out. It has the advantage that if it catches round the wrong thing, it can be readily pulled out.

 

[Rappey]

Fishing weight !

 

[boatman2020]

Thanks for all your suggestions. My mast has slots a couple of feet from the bottom of the mast as Hoolie mentioned in his post so I might try using the existing halyard approach. I will post some pictures when I'm next at the boat. It does sound like this is going to be quite an annoying job!!!!

 

[anoccasionalyachtsman]

What you don't want is to end up with halyards crossed inside the mast. It's not terrible, but certainly not ideal for an easy hoist. Tighten the main halyard and topping lift (you'll probably be hanging from them, so that's sorted …). Hopefully the genoa halyard comes out the other side of the mast from the spinnaker. Tighten that, then heel the boat towards the spinnaker side of the mast - it doesn't need to be much. That way the weighted nuts (my favourite method too) will bring the line down that side and past the other lines which should be out of the way.

 

[Hoolie]

It does sound like this is going to be quite an annoying job!!!!

No ! An interesting challenge where you can use all your ingenuity

 

[Fantasie 19]

No ! An interesting challenge where you can use all your ingenuity

...and not only that I bet it goes easier than you think..

A question on the "use the existing halyard" approach... "Alternatively you could use your foresail halyard to draw a mouse line up the mast and lead it over the sheave at the top. " Would I be right in thinking you would need to bring two mousing lines up the mast - you'll need one to refeed the foresail halyard you just used???

 

[Hoolie]

You probably would. Though if the foresail is not attached the mousing line should preferably run outside the mast. Easier to manage!

 

[greeny]

...and not only that I bet it goes easier than you think..

A question on the "use the existing halyard" approach... "Alternatively you could use your foresail halyard to draw a mouse line up the mast and lead it over the sheave at the top. " Would I be right in thinking you would need to bring two mousing lines up the mast - you'll need one to refeed the foresail halyard you just used???

Yes. Or even better, pull 3 lines in, you'll use 2 and then fasten the spare one off to one side top and bottom ready for that day when you lose a halyard in the mast or you may even want to add another halyard for some reason.

 

[anoccasionalyachtsman]

If you use a halyard to pull it up internally you lose control over whether you get them twisting around each other. Woven ropes shouldn't, but you can't be certain.

 

[Quandary]

I have used nuts and bicycle chain and the chain seems to be able to make its way past the spreader root fittings more easily than the other set up which almost always seems to want to cuddle round one of them, the longer the piece of chain the more stable it seems to be. Crossed halyards in the mast are a disaster, they jamb up when you are already in trouble. On one occasion with our Sigma 33 we had to take the mast down, clear everything out including head and foot, construct a little trolley with eyes in the correct relative positions and run all the mouse lines through together, if you have to fish lines out of the slots above the foot it helps if you cords are different colours, builders line is usually yellow, electricians white, and other colours like red and green are commonplace. Perhaps I have been unlucky or just clumsy but mouse lines never follow the route that I want them to.

 

[lampshuk]

And watch out for unexpected obstructions.
Before running our spinnaker halliard I had to remove half a pillow-case of moss from inside the base of the mast - apparently nesting material belonging to some very determined wagtails (before our ownership).

 

[boatman2020]

Here's some pics of the mast. It looks like there is quite a good conduit inside the mast and think I could hook the spinnaker line if I go up the mast use the weight method.

 

[anoccasionalyachtsman]

A good way to 'hook' it as the weight get down to the height of the exit slot is to get a piece of that plastic baling strapping you get round bulging parcels and pushing it in in a loop so that it's as much around the inner perimeter as possible (other halyards pushed outwards). You can then pull both ends and your halyard will come out trapped inside it.

ps. The only 'conduits' in the mast will be for wiring, the rest is either roller reefing space on the back or the bigger void for all the halyards.