Sheave stuck at the top of the mast

[MagicalArmchair]

The boat is in the drink, and lo and behold, she even floats!! (a miracle after I changed the stern gland over winter!).

To be lifted back in I need to get the backstay off. Now, once launched, in order to get the backstay back far enough to get it back on, I use the topping lift to pull the mast back (lots of tension here), reattach the backstay and I am done.

I cranked it up quite tight on the winch this time, not thinking too much of it (and thinking back, i didn't winch it on the centreline, it was off centre to port slightly as I couldn't make the topping lift up onto the pushpit at the centre because of the liferaft), did up the backstay, and then when I came to release the topping lift the stretch came out of the rope, however, the rope remained tight!

I tried pulling from both ends, if I pulled the mast end piece mightily hard, it would edge about 3 inches with a bit of a bang and a jump. If I pulled from the boom end, I couldn't get the rope moving at all.

This rope is on a sheave outside the mast. Is this a trip up the mast I'm looking at? What do you think has happened? Anything else I can try before sprinting up on my Top Climber?

Edit: Looking back at my old photos, I bet the sheave is an old Tufnol one and thats blown apart, split in two and has eaten the rope? See the below from where I replace the main sheet sheave, but NOT the topping lift one!

 

[VicS]

If its a plastics one broken the sheave perhaps:

 

[Yellow Ballad]

Didn't the ballad have "wire" sheave that had a slightly different profile for the wire and then the rope? Could have pulled the rope into this but looking at your pic my mast is different to yours (welded top plate) so possibly different.

PS I did my sterngland over the winter as well.... I think she's still floating. Have you still got the original lip seal type jobbie?

 

[johnalison]

The line looks too fat to have just slipped over the sheave, so I think that a breakage is the most likely. It is not going to be a very comfortable job, working above your head and you won't have the TL as a backup, which is what I would usually do. Maybe a spinnaker halyard could be brought into use. If you take lots of spare pins and rings, you will be sure not to drop one.

 

[MagicalArmchair]

Didn't the ballad have "wire" sheave that had a slightly different profile for the wire and then the rope? Could have pulled the rope into this but looking at your pic my mast is different to yours (welded top plate) so possibly different.

PS I did my sterngland over the winter as well.... I think she's still floating. Have you still got the original lip seal type jobbie?

Yup, mines a Selden mast - I think its the original stock one? I installed a Radice lip seal job, very good it is too - no more burping it like the VP one and a greasing point to boot! Well done swapping yours, what did you go for?

And thanks JohnAlison, yup, I hope to take a replacement sheave up there too if I can find the measurements. The Top Climber I have lets you work at mast height which is pretty cool - I did that on my fathers boat - the only slight mental block I have is that I haven't used it since he was alive (viz, he was there to catch me!)

 

[William_H]

I don't consider an adjustable topping lift as essential equipment. Mine on a smaller boat is fixed length. I reckon you could manage a season without having an adjustable TL. Just shorten or lengthen the existing TL or even fit a handy billy tackle to get adjustment or lift until the mast is down next time. I don't use a TL when reefing I just drop the main halyard a bit and take up with the clew reefing then drop the main halyard some more. I only use the TL whne raising the main sail or when furling main sail. olewill

 

[Daydream believer]

If it is jammed & you feel that you can leave it for the season then as suggested earlier just put a light line & a couple of blocks on the end of the topping lift by the boom with a cleat. Then you just reach up & give the line a pull to tension the lift for reefing etc. i did this on my last boat to save going forward as I had the reef lines returning to the cockpit.
A 2;1 may be enough & a 4mm line is probably big enough for temporary use.
Make sure you cleat the other end just in case sod'd law dictates that it does suddenly free itself !!!!

 

[MagicalArmchair]

Eh, you know what, I've secretly been hoping for an excuse to master my fear of using the Top Climber thing post my father. It's safe as houses (quite a fun workout if you get the technique wrong, which of course I do)... so long as the rope stays attached and the stick stays pointing skywards... .

I'll rig a fall arrester to the spinny halyard (tricky as its the wrong side of the spreaders) and then hope I bounce...

 

[dom]

I'll rig a fall arrester to the spinny halyard (tricky as its the wrong side of the spreaders) and then hope I bounce...

Might be worth mousing a climbing line through to replace spinny halyard if you truly want to bounce. Failing that, you'll need a helper to tail, or some other arrest method to keep the fall small should it happen.

Then, finally time to go sailing

 

[tawhiri]

I have a similar mast, also Selen. I also had a problem at the top, which required removing the pin where you have your roller.
I came to the conclusion that it was too dangerous to remove the pin dangeling from the halyard, because the top was no longer 100% secure.
I used the crane in the marina for the price of a 6-pack, to repair the mast top within 10 minuets.

 

[AntarcticPilot]

I have a similar mast, also Selen. I also had a problem at the top, which required removing the pin where you have your roller.
I came to the conclusion that it was too dangerous to remove the pin dangeling from the halyard, because the top was no longer 100% secure.
I used the crane in the marina for the price of a 6-pack, to repair the mast top within 10 minuets.

I have a similar problem at the bottom of my mast, which I have chosen to ignore! In this case, the sheave is missing, and the topping lift simply passes round the pin - it works, but if it was a halliard I'd be worried about excessive wear where it passes round the pin. But the reason I choose to ignore it is relevant to the OP; it is because I can't shift the pin to fit a new sheave! As it is fitted in an aluminium casting at the base of the mast, I'm a bit wary of applying a lot of force for fear of breaking the casting. I am sure it is the usual problem of a stainless pin in an aluminium casting, and probably a combination of heat and penetrating oil would shift it. But it is low down on my priority list.

Point is, it is a job that I wouldn't be sure of being able to tackle at the top of the mast. I do have a good mast ladder (Deffee), so I do have good access to the top of the mast, but even so, working at the top of the mast is tiring and difficult; as other have remarked, you can be sure that either you'll find you need the one tool you didn't take up with you, or you'll drop a critical fitting! Further, you aren't well-placed to apply much force to anything - action and reaction are equal and opposite, and you have nothing to brace against. I also wouldn't fancy trying to use a blow-torch or other heating method at the top of a mast!

To me it sounds like something where a "get you sailing" bodge is appropriate until unlimited, secure access to the top of the mast can be arranged, either by going alongside a high wall, a cherry-picker or getting the mast down. It may be that simply removing the remains of the sheave (presuming it is a broken sheave) will work as a "get you sailing" bodge, leaving the topping lift to run round the remaining pin - that works at the bottom of my mast, and has for several years!

 

[Graham_Wright]

Further, you aren't well-placed to apply much force to anything - action and reaction are equal and opposite, and you have nothing to brace against. I also wouldn't fancy trying to use a blow-torch or other heating method at the top of a mast!

It all depends! If you have something solid to stand on such as mast steps (or something else fear of promoting prevents me mentioning!) and you secure yourself with a strop or belt around the mast you can be pretty solidly secured. I have spent a couple of hours up there (using a "something else") drilling, riveting and even soldering.

Point on topping lifts;- a fixed one supports the boom but a proper one if sufficiently strong can double as a main halyard in emergency and can also be used to assist climbing the mast!

 

[AntarcticPilot]

The main limit I find to working at the top of the mast is simply that it requires constant muscular tension in the legs simply standing there. I haven't tried using a strop as you suggest - that might well alleviate the problem. But unlike using a ladder against a wall, mast steps (or "something else" ) are a vertical lift, and you are probably going to be leaning away from the mast at least slightly. Unlike a ladder leaning against a wall, you can't rest by leaning into the ladder. I usually climb with my arrms round the mast to keep me as near upright as possible, minimizing the strain on my legs. I find that while I can access the top of the mast, staying up there for any length of time is very tiring - not helped by being tensed up, as although I'm alright with heights, I don't like them!

It all depends! If you have something solid to stand on such as mast steps (or something else fear of promoting prevents me mentioning!) and you secure yourself with a strop or belt around the mast you can be pretty solidly secured. I have spent a couple of hours up there (using a "something else") drilling, riveting and even soldering.

Point on topping lifts;- a fixed one supports the boom but a proper one if sufficiently strong can double as a main halyard in emergency and can also be used to assist climbing the mast!

 

[Spirit (of Glenans)]

I don't consider an adjustable topping lift as essential equipment. Mine on a smaller boat is fixed length. I reckon you could manage a season without having an adjustable TL. Just shorten or lengthen the existing TL or even fit a handy billy tackle to get adjustment or lift until the mast is down next time. I don't use a TL when reefing I just drop the main halyard a bit and take up with the clew reefing then drop the main halyard some more. I only use the TL whne raising the main sail or when furling main sail. olewill

+1

 

[Graham_Wright]

The main limit I find to working at the top of the mast is simply that it requires constant muscular tension in the legs simply standing there. I haven't tried using a strop as you suggest - that might well alleviate the problem. But unlike using a ladder against a wall, mast steps (or "something else" ) are a vertical lift, and you are probably going to be leaning away from the mast at least slightly. Unlike a ladder leaning against a wall, you can't rest by leaning into the ladder. I usually climb with my arrms round the mast to keep me as near upright as possible, minimizing the strain on my legs. I find that while I can access the top of the mast, staying up there for any length of time is very tiring - not helped by being tensed up, as although I'm alright with heights, I don't like them!

I use a three inch wide leather belt really tight. I have a chair and a "something else". I also wear a substantial fall arrest harness (over the top I know) separately secured. With this kit, I have two free hands. The point about a chair and steps is that you can sit, stand and shuffle. The various riggers that also use "something elses" can spend five hours at the masthead. Avoiding dvt is a good trick!

I have tried to persuade climbers (those using their legs) to hug the mast as you do. (Tom Cunliffe is best convert to date). All the climbing effort is then directed downwards and not out and down. If you're at sea, such a technique can reduce the number of bloodstains on the mast. Bad for anodising I understand!

 

[MagicalArmchair]

I'm hoping the TopClimber will take most of the fatigue out of the equation (see cheesy video below). I've gone up my own mast and my late fathers a few times, right to the top (with him there to catch me). The sheave I will be on will be separate to the busted one, so there should be no danger. I'll take a chisel and hammer up too just in case the best I can hope for is smashing the remains of the old sheave out.

If there's any danger at all or it looks hopeless, I'll leave it and just the hell go sailing and rig some other form of topping lift. I do like having it as a spare halyard I must say, but we'll see if it's completely kippered. I might take another rope up with me too so I can run it over the sheave next door to the busted one if I can't fix it...

 

[MagicalArmchair]

So up I went on Saturday. I hoisted a new bit of 10mm prestretched polyester up the main halyard, hoisted a 16mm piece of rope up the spinny halyard and took it around the spreaders so I could use that for my fall arrester. I put a block on the beefy stanchion bases to lead the new 10mm line aft to the jib winches, and then winched the slack out of the line and then made it off to the winch.

The boy rigging the tackle:

Tackle rigged:

A few trial runs later, up I went. First error was that when I winched the slack out of the new line, the main halyard stretched taking the join of the lines about a foot down the mast, additionally, I hadn't winched it as tight as I probably should have, leaving me able to swing around quite a bit about 50% of the way up the mast.

Never the less, standing in the strops I could reach the mast head and I was not keen on going back down again.

The line had got trapped between the sheaves and was wedged in there pretty good. I first of all ran a mousing line over the second sheave just in case I couldn't save and had to cut the other halyard free. Then, with a hammer and screwdriver drove the rope (sounds simpler than it was working at the extremities of my reach) up and out of the gap between the sheaves. In doing so I did damage the Tufnol cheeks that separate those two sheaves, so I need to be careful in future to not to have a rope go between those sheaves.

Trapped topping lift:

Topping lift free:

Nice view from the top and the obligatory mast head selfie. Job done, about an hour and a half of effort I suppose, maybe two including teeth sucking and contemplating terminal velocity.

The most important thing is all the sails are now on and we are ready to go flipping sailing!

 

[Daydream believer]

I spent 2 hours up my mast on Sunday & had no problem drilling holes for the wind instrument . The problem was getting the old wires out & the new ones in. Whilst the last post shows the halyard attached to the chair high up my halyard was joined to my bosuns chair at waist level. This pulled the 2 ends together rather too tightly but secure never the less.
I tied it as I would never rely on a shackle.
I did not bother about mast hugging etc I just pushed myself clear of everything & let myself be winched up.
My main problem was that I had no water & in the heat I suddenly found myself going faint due, possibly, to dehydration & the fact that the straps were very tight around my legs.
As I started to go dizzy I shouted to my son below to let me down fast - which he did. It was a good 45 minutes before I could walk about properly & 90 minutes before I felt fit to drive home.

 

[johnalison]

The most important thing is all the sails are now on and we are ready to go flipping sailing!

I see what you mean!

 

[Graham_Wright]

I spent 2 hours up my mast on Sunday & had no problem drilling holes for the wind instrument . The problem was getting the old wires out & the new ones in. Whilst the last post shows the halyard attached to the chair high up my halyard was joined to my bosuns chair at waist level. This pulled the 2 ends together rather too tightly but secure never the less.
I tied it as I would never rely on a shackle.
I did not bother about mast hugging etc I just pushed myself clear of everything & let myself be winched up.
My main problem was that I had no water & in the heat I suddenly found myself going faint due, possibly, to dehydration & the fact that the straps were very tight around my legs.
As I started to go dizzy I shouted to my son below to let me down fast - which he did. It was a good 45 minutes before I could walk about properly & 90 minutes before I felt fit to drive home.

You need something to stand on so you can shuffle. Mast steps or "some assisting device".