Sun Fizz - Running Rigging

[trumes]

The Sun Fizz I brought needs the running rigging to be replaced in its entirety but I noticed today that the previous owner cut some of the rigging so I have nothing to connect a mousing line to. The main problem is the high level stuff. The boat is on the hard so I'm unable to climb the mast.

Does anybody have any suggestions? Hopefully, I do not need to remove the mast

Many thanks in advance as always.

 

[westernman]

Fishing line and a fishing line weight to thread it through??
The problem will be others stuff inside the mast in the way. If it can be done, move the other stuff up and down to jiggle it through.

That is an advantage I have with a solid mast like a tree trunk.

On the other hand, to removing my mast is a major engineering operation.

 

[trumes]

Fishing line and a fishing line weight to thread it through??
The problem will be others stuff inside the mast in the way. If it can be done, move the other stuff up and down to jiggle it through.

That is an advantage I have with a solid mast like a tree trunk.

On the other hand, to removing my mast is a major engineering operation.

Rigging was accessible back in the day. I envy you! Its the rigging at the top, I have no way of getting a fishing line to the top of thr mast and drop it down. I'm thinking about rigging something like a fishing line and small weigh to my drone!

 

[Kwik Decision]

I can't see how you can replace missing running rigging without going up the mast (or dropping the mast as you mention), so unless you can get a cherry picker in, you may need to wait until she's back in the water.
To do the job, a short length of bicycle chain as the weight, tied to light mouse line is usually recommended. As the chain flexes, it is easier to pick up / get out at the bottom.

 

[mikefleetwood]

You could try electricians tape, pushed from below and wiggled until it comes out at the right sheave? Cheaper than a cherry picker, and safer than climbing so might be worth a shot.

 

[William_H]

I think it was mentioned your boat is a 20fter. I think it is time OP organised to drop the mast himself. Assuming a hinged mast base this is not hard providing he gets all the right gear. A frame or 2 spinnaker poles 3 or 4 purchase tackle and crutch to land the mast in. Search mast lowering this forum lots of good advice,
On a boat this size trying to climb the mast on water is just madness. The boat does not have enough stability. On the hard well perhaps but threading new halyards would be difficult with mast up and you clinging to the top. I reckon even on water I can have the mast on my 21fter safely down in minutes. Just right gear and practice. have a helper first time.
When the mast is horizontal I have used old rigging wire pushed through. Remove sheave boxes etc to access the wire pushed through.

 

[mrming]

I think it was mentioned your boat is a 20fter. I think it is time OP organised to drop the mast himself. Assuming a hinged mast base this is not hard providing he gets all the right gear. A frame or 2 spinnaker poles 3 or 4 purchase tackle and crutch to land the mast in. Search mast lowering this forum lots of good advice,
On a boat this size trying to climb the mast on water is just madness. The boat does not have enough stability. On the hard well perhaps but threading new halyards would be difficult with mast up and you clinging to the top. I reckon even on water I can have the mast on my 21fter safely down in minutes. Just right gear and practice. have a helper first time.
When the mast is horizontal I have used old rigging wire pushed through. Remove sheave boxes etc to access the wire pushed through.

A Sun Fizz is a 40 footer unf.

 

[Stemar]

In theory, it should be easier to do with the mast vertical because gravity helps, but still it's going to be a faff. Personally, I'd talk to your friendly local rigger, with a strong inclination to pay up and look sweet.

 

[trumes]

I think it was mentioned your boat is a 20fter. I think it is time OP organised to drop the mast himself. Assuming a hinged mast base this is not hard providing he gets all the right gear. A frame or 2 spinnaker poles 3 or 4 purchase tackle and crutch to land the mast in. Search mast lowering this forum lots of good advice,
On a boat this size trying to climb the mast on water is just madness. The boat does not have enough stability. On the hard well perhaps but threading new halyards would be difficult with mast up and you clinging to the top. I reckon even on water I can have the mast on my 21fter safely down in minutes. Just right gear and practice. have a helper first time.
When the mast is horizontal I have used old rigging wire pushed through. Remove sheave boxes etc to access the wire pushed through.

Absolutely no chance of dropping the mast on this thing without the use of a crane unfortunately.

 

[pandos]

Getting the mast dropped would allow you to do loads of stuff including checking the mast head changing lights cables antennas etc...

 

[Sea Change]

Do you have any lines going to the masthead at all?

 

[trumes]

Do you have any lines going to the masthead at all?

Only the one that carries the boom unfortunately

 

[trumes]

Getting the mast dropped would allow you to do loads of stuff including checking the mast head changing lights cables antennas etc...

Where I am on the hard, everything is mega $$$$ as they know they have you by the short and curlies. I asked today If I could borrow / book the cherry picker they have on site and they came back with maybe but it will be next year and only if we have a slot. They want 300 Euros per hour! I just want to get it out of here to be honest.

 

[Sea Change]

Only the one that carries the boom unfortunately

Well that's better than nothing. Any idea what kind of condition it's in?
Assuming it's good, drop the boom and use that one line (it's called the topping lift) to get up and get some more lines in place. You ideally need some sort of safety line in place, I would try a noose around the mast, if the worst happens it should tighten up and stop you from sliding down. You could do a test at low level to see if there's enough friction. Take a spare length of line si that you can tie another noose when you reach the spreaders.
It might seem overkill but you don't know the rig and it's a basic safety precaution.

Once you're up there, the first thing I would do is to install a spinnaker halyard, which will just run on a block shackled to the masthead. That instantly gives you a second line to make future trips up the mast easier.

As for getting the internal halyards run... bike chain as suggested can work. I've done this using a length of lead beads which came out of some weighted rope. I tied it to a light length of twine and lowered it down no problem. Getting it out of the exit point wasn't easy, but eventually I managed to hook it with a piece of bent wire.

One more thought- if your topping lift doesn't look great, you could use the existing one to pull through a replacement. The trick is to make the join secure enough not to break, but not so bulky that it won't go past the sheeve. Have fun!

 

[pandos]

Where I am on the hard, everything is mega $$$$ as they know they have you by the short and curlies. I asked today If I could borrow / book the cherry picker they have on site and they came back with maybe but it will be next year and only if we have a slot. They want 300 Euros per hour! I just want to get it out of here to be honest.

Where is that?

 

[trumes]

Well that's better than nothing. Any idea what kind of condition it's in?
Assuming it's good, drop the boom and use that one line (it's called the topping lift) to get up and get some more lines in place. You ideally need some sort of safety line in place, I would try a noose around the mast, if the worst happens it should tighten up and stop you from sliding down. You could do a test at low level to see if there's enough friction. Take a spare length of line si that you can tie another noose when you reach the spreaders.
It might seem overkill but you don't know the rig and it's a basic safety precaution.

Once you're up there, the first thing I would do is to install a spinnaker halyard, which will just run on a block shackled to the masthead. That instantly gives you a second line to make future trips up the mast easier.

As for getting the internal halyards run... bike chain as suggested can work. I've done this using a length of lead beads which came out of some weighted rope. I tied it to a light length of twine and lowered it down no problem. Getting it out of the exit point wasn't easy, but eventually I managed to hook it with a piece of bent wire.

One more thought- if your topping lift doesn't look great, you could use the existing one to pull through a replacement. The trick is to make the join secure enough not to break, but not so bulky that it won't go past the sheeve. Have fun!

Hi Seachange,

Thank you for the valuable input—I really appreciate it! I may have accidentally started two threads on similar topics, so apologies for any confusion.

As I mentioned in my other post, I’m trying to figure out, with the forum’s help, what equipment I have and what I can safely rig while the boat is on the hard. Unfortunately, I won’t be able to go up the mast until I’m back in the water.

I removed the gooseneck today, as it’s cracked. Hopefully, I can find someone back in the UK who can weld it or, ideally, locate an original part in someone’s old stock, as Francespar parts are practically nonexistent as they got brought out years ago—as you probably know!