Rerun missing halyards

[Spazz]

First haul out and my mrs removed the main and spinaker halyard as we were prepping the mast to be stepped.

Boat is on the hard with the mast on the deck already stepped.

Does anyone have any recomendations on how to get the halyards reran through the mast with the boat on the hard?

 

[CloudDiver]

Jedi Mind Trick...

 

[Spazz]

So dont want to talk about how but my 78 hunter cherubini had 2 halyards taken out of the mast while mast was being stepped. Still have the topping lift and the jib/spare halyard, but main and spiniker halyard need to be rerab through the mast.

Any ideas how to do so. Mast is currently lying across the deck on the hard.

 

[dlochner]

Nope. You should never go up a mast with the boat on the hard.

Be nice, she knows not what she has done.

If you have no halyards to take your self to the top of the mast once you are back in the water, the marina may be able hoist you up on the crane, if not the mast must come down.

Sorry for the bad news.

 

[BlowMeAway]

Spazz, are you suggesting that the halyards have been completely withdrawn from the mast? In other words the lines were totally removed? Typically this is a bad idea, if true. Most folks, when replacing the halyards, simply leave the old lines in place until ready for a rethread of new lines. You use the old lines, sew them onto the new lines, and pull the new lines up thru the mast and sheaves. I think you'll find a world of hurt trying to use something like a drain snake or something comparable to rethread without the old lines in place. I'm sure it's possible, but gonna require some effort and patience. Do your halyards enter the mast slightly above the boom like mine? Follow the red line up near the top of the photo.

 

[dlochner]

Perhaps I was too hasty.

Once the boat is on the hard, it is dangerous to go up the mast as the boat is not stable and can easily tip over with a couple of hundred pounds at the top.

If the mast comes down, use an electrician's fish tape to run a new halyard. They are relatively cheap at about $20 for a 50 foot one and they have many uses at home and on the boat.

If you can go up the mast, use a small piece of chain attached to thin line (~ ⅛") and drop the chain and line down from the top of the mast, when it comes out the bottom pull it out, attach it back to the halyard and then pull the halyard back up. This or some variation will work.

 

[BlowMeAway]

Check out your post on Ask All Sailors. Stepping the mast is meaning raised. Demasting is down.

 

[Gunni]

Get an electricians wire snake down at HomeLowes and feed it from the mast exits to the mast top plate, tape on your halyards and restrieve. No problemo

 

[Brian D]

I've merged the two threads so we do not get cross chatter.

 

[jssailem]

Spazz. You need to work from the top down. Safest is with the mast off the boat layed on it's side.

1. You get a small line - this is a messenger line.
   
2. Attach the messenger line to the end of the fish tape.
   
3. Run the fish tape and messenger line down the center of the mast till it is visible at the exit sheave near the mast base where your halyard comes out.
   
4. Then use a bent coat hanger to reach in and retrieve the messenger line.
   
5. Now tie your halyard onto the messenger line and pull the messenger line and the halyard up through the mast.
   
6. When you get the halyard to the top of the mast guide it from inside the mast up and over the sheave and out of the mast.
7. This line is then pulled down the out side of the mast back to the boom.
   
8. Reattach the sail shackle
   One done.

If you have the mast raised (standing up on the boat), then the process is the same only you will be doing it from 50 feet in the air and someone will be helping on the boat deck while the second person makes sure the rope holding the person on the mast is safe.
Perhaps you can pull your wife to the top of the mast to help fix the trouble. Just a thought. Not a good thought.

If your lucky the Spinnaker Halyard is run through a block on the oust side of the mast. If not repeat the process used for the Main Halyard.
Best of luck.

 

[agprice22]

Maybe your wife was trying to tell you something by removing your halyards?
^-^

 

[BlowMeAway]

These allegations of me harassing women are totally and categorically fictional and false. If my wife looked like Mrs. Spazz, I could only forgive her! Then use a stiffy electricians snake wire and improve my halyards.

 

[Spazz]

Thanks all!! Truth be told i said we neededed to remove all the running rigging....halyards do fall in that category after all. It was our first haul out.

 

[Spazz]

Blow me away: yes thats exactly how my halyard runs through my mast.

 

[DanLink]

My jib halyard snapped at the end of last year, and since I had to take the mast down anyway for some standing rigging repairs, the halyard was fixed while the mast was down. But it was a bit trickier than I had thought. I tried to run the 50 ft snake like others are saying, but first it was hard to get it around the block at the top of the mast, and then it kept getting hung up on something right where the spreaders attach. Eventually. I wound up taking the fitting at the top of the mast off.

 

[agprice22]

I also found it easier to remove the mast head and base. However, he could use a bosuns chair to work at the top of the mast and give it a try. Personally, I would drop the mast and inspect every fitting. That Cherubini ain't young!

 

[Ken Cross]

I also found it easier to remove the mast head and base. However, he could use a bosuns chair to work at the top of the mast and give it a try. Personally, I would drop the mast and inspect every fitting. That Cherubini ain't young!

Just curious: How do you climb a mast (bosuns chair or climbing harness) without halyards?

Ken

 

[SFS]

Jedi Mind Trick...

 

[Parsons]

Mast is currently lying across the deck on the hard.

I think it's clear that OP's mast is not stepped, so talk of bosun's chairs and going up the mast are not the problem. Jssailem gave a good explanation of using an electrician's fish tape to run a messanger line back to the mast exit. If there is a problem at the mast head, these can usually be resolved by removing it with six screws and working the sheaves close up. It's a good idea to inspect and lubricate (sailkote) them at this time anyhow.

 

[Don Crowther]

Can you put the mast on a couple of saw horses so you are at ground level? It would make the job alot easier that trying to work with the mast on the deck.