Retrieve Jib Halyard at top of Mast

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thesaintlyone

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So having left my Jib Halyard unclipped whilst away from the boat during stormy weather I returned to find the Jib Halyard has gone to the top of the mast. I'm not planning to have the mast dropped prior to launch and need to retrieve the jib Halyard. The boat wood things at the local yard so not sure how stable they would be if I went up the mast myself. I need to install some lazy Jack's for the Dolphin Sails stack pack I have got hold of.

Any suggestions welcome
 
I have snared lines with stiff wire lashed to a boat hook secured to another halyard. The wire was formed into a tapered hook so was higher than the boathook and above the top of the halyard. The boat hook gives rigidity to the fishing halyard such that by moving the fishing halyard up, down and in and out, you can position tapered hook. The fishing halyard needs to be outside the mast, e.g. burgee halyard, spinikar halyard.
 
thesaintlyone said:
The boat wood things at the local yard so not sure how stable they would be if I went up the mast myself. I need to install some lazy Jack's for the Dolphin Sails stack pack I have got hold of.

Any suggestions welcome
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Hauling someone up on the main halyard to get the jib halyard, or getting someone to haul you up, isn't going to take very long, so why not wait until you're back in the water. Even the lazyjacks should be half a day's work at most.
 
People go up masts in our marina, and I have done it myself once. All the fin-keelers are in cradles, so the additional risk is purely psychological I would have thought. I must ask in the office some time what their rule is.
 
Thesaintlyone has not indicated just how high the halyard is and just what is one the end. If it is a thimble and shackle then he has a chance perhaps. You need a long pole stiff enough to not wobble but light enough to be able hold. A windsurfer mast can be quite good. With extensions of fishing rod etc. You attach on to the end a a wide plate with a vee cut into the end. the legs of the vee bent down wards. If the vee can be moved to catch the swage so that pulling downwards pulls the halyard into the vee you just pull it all down. A poorer alternative often used is the end of a boat hook. Here the hook part is twisted around the halyard with a few turns hopefully enough grip to pull the halyard.
But of course all this depends on how high your mast is and how strong your arms are. good luck olewill
 
This worked last year, much to my delight.

Tie a tight-ish slip knot in the shackle end of an adjacent halyard, and a downhaul line to the shackle. Pull it up to the top and trap the errant jib halyard, pull tight and bring it all down.
 
anoccasionalyachtsman said:
This worked last year, much to my delight.

Tie a tight-ish slip knot in the shackle end of an adjacent halyard, and a downhaul line to the shackle. Pull it up to the top and trap the errant jib halyard, pull tight and bring it all down.
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That's clever...

When I did mine I just taped a few bamboo canes together and gaffered a large fishing hook on the end - bit of a faff but got it down in the end...
 
I have seen our local marina yard staff salvage similar situations for free when they were passing with a mobile crane to put masts back on other boats pre- launch. Might be worth asking? (Could depend on how keen they are being hoisted into the air.)
 
You can purchase an extending pole on eBay or amazon for not much money and tape a hook to that but would not get you all the way up so you would probably need a ladder too. These are intended for Han kites to scare birds and you often see then in the fields. We just brought one and put it on our roof as we have just had it thatched and the rooks were sterling the straw. Very light and easy to manouver.
Could be worth a go anyway.
 
Graham_Wright said:
Do you mean props?

It is dangerous to climb if that is the case. The domino effect will ensure that your widow will have a hard time with the compensation.
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The risk of an accident is just not worth it - one slip and you could leave a family behind without a father, brother uncle....... I am sure this poor chap thought he was doing the correct thing, while antifouling his boat, but accidents happen all too quickly http://www.dorsetecho.co.uk/news/16...ies_in_boat_fall_tragedy_at_Weymouth_harbour/
 
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