spinny halyard advice....

[AIDY]

I have a fractional rigged boat. above the furling gear up top I have two sheaves / pulleys that run in the mast down to an exit box at the bottom with pulleys back to the clutches. using this arrangment with the the halyard running in the mast causes problems getting the kite up and down. especially when the kite is pulled aft behind the main there is so much friction it takes two people to pull it down with the clutch block off and the rope to run free..... First thoughts were i have threaded the halyard wrong in the mast and it was caught round a reefing line but with all lines slack in the mast the same happens. the rope is the correct size for the pulleys.

at the weekend i decided to re thread the halyard and run it outside the mast putting a pulley above the furling gear on an eye. as it's fractional rigged i dont have a platform at the top of the mast to attach a pulley. now the pulley and rope causes problems in furling the genoa.

anybody got any bright ideas, or a solution it aint much fun spending the weekend up top

 

[savageseadog]

Success may depend on which side of the spreader roots you go.

 

[fireball]

The way some racing dinghies do it is to put a swivel block above the halyard exit sheeve (at the upper end of the mast!) - no block in the sheeve.

As the halyard angle changes so the block swivels to give (hopefully!) the best angle ...

I'll try and find a picture or diagram.

 

[Hermit]

Try a halyard deflector (I think that is what they are called) to run the halyard down the front to the mast from the original block thus always ensuring it has a correct lead to the sheave. This is just a rounded eye to bring the halyard down.

 

[Hermit]

Just tried looking for it on the net to give you a better description - can't find it but what is described as a deflector is a wheel at the top of roller reefing systems. When I finally get to my boat I can get a photo of mine!

 

[William_H]

Two possibilities for friction. One is the halyard inside the mast perhaps not likely...
The other is friction at the pulley. If it is like mine with spin pulled around behind the main the exit from the pulley is very much sideways. This could pull the rope off the side of the sheave. I had a similar problem which was eased by fixing a small dead eye I think they are called ( a plastic rope guide with SS liner) just below the exit pulley so that the rope is forced to the pulley sheave from in front even when the pull is sideways.
A third related source of friction may be the spin itself and halyard on the stays as you pull it past.
The idea of a pulley external reminds me that some boats have a spin halyard going to the mast top. The halyard goes through a pulley on the end of a rope which exits from the exit block just above the forestay. (fractional rig) This arrangement enables you to fly the spin from mast head, light winds big spin, or from the fractional point by pulling the pulley just above the forestay into the mast to pull the spinhead to that point. If you released both the spin halyard and the halyard holding the pulley innto the mast the spin could float out and aft of the mast hopefully with less friction than coming from close to the forestay. PM me if you are confused and interested. (it would require 2 halyards one at top and one 3/4.)

Launching and retrieving the spin from the main cabin entrance is great on a smaller boat but the friction of the halyard and spin getting it under the boom and the brace around can be 'orrible so just persevere. You may try a thinner halyard for less friction.

I currently have a similar problem but with the boat laid up for winter I have put off the fix. I think apart from refixing the aforementioned rope guide I will try thinner halyard. Sometime before then end of Sept. ( can't wait)

good luck ....olewill

 

[Skyva_2]

As Fireball says, you really need a swivel block above the halyard exit sheave, usually mounted on a 'crane'. This gives a fair lead whatever the state of the spinnaker.

IMHO an eye on the mast below the sheave will not improve matters.

 

[fireball]

I've just been looking for the "halyard deflector" - it would work ok above or below the exit sheeve if you get the right one ...


something along the lines of a "tri roller" car could work

http://www.harkenstore.com/images/cysptrttrackcars.jpg

the harken ones were just an example....

 

[Skyva_2]

This is a crane at the masthead:

IP38 crane

5th photo, the shackle and block are visible lower right. This arrangement is very reliable.

Trouble is this would be a job with the mast down. You might be able to rivet a crane to the mast wall but it would have to be very robust. I would talk to a rigger.

 

[rudolph_hart]

Get yourself a spinnaker halyard spectacle fitting and rivet it to the front of the mast just above the forestay. I fitted one to may last boat (Dehler 34, 7/8th rig) and it works well. It isn't an expensive item, has two halyard fairleads (hence its name), and the backing plate is pre-curved to fit to the round face of most masts.

To improve matters further, replace the halyard with a Dyneema one. This should allow you to drop one or two halyard sizes for the same or higher breaking strain, and the line will run more freely.

 

[AIDY]

Thank you all for your comments. this is my exit box above the furling gear. I currently have a pulley attached to the middle bar, but it won't swival.

Thanks

 

[charles_reed]

bring the halyard down through a simple ring, rivetted to the front of the mast, below the spi-halyard sheave but above the forestay.

PS If your genoa halyard enters the mast above the forestay, that is a real problem.