Halyard Hell

[Ticonguy30]

Does anyone have any tips on how to put in a new halyard a raised mast?

I old halyard broke and cannot be used as a slave/feeder for the new one.

I plan on using a chair to get up the mast, and feeding the new line in.

Since the line goes into the mast, I am not sure how to "catch" or pull it out of the bottom.

Any tips are appreciated.

1986 Ticon 30'
Kenyon HP Mast.

 

[Steve Dion]

Use a bicycle chain attached to a feeder line. Be sure that you put the line over both sheaves at the top of the mast if that is how it is setup.

 

[Warren Milberg]

In addition to bicycle chain, I've weighted the halyard going down the mast with fishing sinkers. Depending on what the exit plate or opening is at the lower end of the mast, I then use a bent piece of coat hanger to fish the dangling halyard out. Sometimes this takes a bit of patience. Good luck.

 

[Clark]

I had excellent luck just feeding the line itself into the mast. After 3-4 feet, the weight of the line helped the process. Once I gave it plenty to reach the exit plate (near the mast base), I motored back to our slip from the crane dock - maybe 300 yds - and once there used a dental tool to snag it. Any small piece of stiff wire would have worked.

 

[Steve Dion]

The problem on these early Hunters is they have mast exit plates about 8' off the deck, so regardless of what they use it needs to be snagged at the exit plate.

Not an easy job, but with some luck is should be doable.

 

[Seattle Scott]

Take the exit plate off first, that way you can "see" what you are doing.

 

[Clark]

Good Point Steve, I should have been more clear. This was for a spinnaker halyard and I had to rig a sling from the gooseneck to stand upon to reach the plate. I guess my weight on the same side as the exit plate helped cause it only took about a minute to grab the halyard tail.

 

[Chuckbear]

Here is what we have done many times in the past. Tape a "steel" bolt or nail to a smaller line and drop it down the mast over the sheave, in the proper direction. Once the hardware gets near the exit plate, use a magnet, it will need to be on a handle, to reach in and grab the hardware. Pull it through and attach the new halyard to the smaller line securely and pull it down the mast. It might even work using the new halyard. Piece of cake. Chuck

 

[Ticonguy30]

Thanks to all for the advice..I see your past exp will help make this job a little easier-
I like the fishing lure/magnet idea a lot...
I will let you all know how it works out...!

 

[Don12364]

Gem of a tip for drawing it out of the mast hole.

This one is a real gem for drawing a halyard out of the mast. I learned it from an old plumber who used this technique to draw wires out from inside cavity walls.
Before dropping the new halyard down insert a bight of a steel flexible tape measure into the hole and keep pushing it in until it has spread itself all round the inside wall of the mast.
Then drop the halyard down through the loop you have just made and simply pull both ends of the tape out simultaneously - and the halyard comes too.
It is a good idea to mark the halyard first so you know when enough has been entered into the mast.

 

[Hermit Scott]

Here is what we have done many times in the past. Tape a "steel" bolt or nail to a smaller line and drop it down the mast over the sheave, in the proper direction. Once the hardware gets near the exit plate, use a magnet, it will need to be on a handle, to reach in and grab the hardware. Pull it through and attach the new halyard to the smaller line securely and pull it down the mast. It might even work using the new halyard. Piece of cake. Chuck

Genius

 

[Witzend]

This probably would snag everything running in the mast wires other halyards, all of which would not fit through the exit hole.

Before dropping the new halyard down insert a bight of a steel flexible tape measure into the hole and keep pushing it in until it has spread itself all round the inside wall of the mast.
Then drop the halyard down through the loop you have just made and simply pull both ends of the tape out simultaneously - and the halyard comes too.
It is a good idea to mark the halyard first so you know when enough has been entered into the mast.[/quote]

 

[Kevin3447]

This probably would snag everything running in the mast wires other halyards, all of which would not fit through the exit hole.

Before dropping the new halyard down insert a bight of a steel flexible tape measure into the hole and keep pushing it in until it has spread itself all round the inside wall of the mast.
Then drop the halyard down through the loop you have just made and simply pull both ends of the tape out simultaneously - and the halyard comes too.
It is a good idea to mark the halyard first so you know when enough has been entered into the mast.

I don't think so - since it's a bight (loop) that you're pushing in there, it would push everything else out of the way, and make a nice hole for the new halyard to drop in to. I'll try to remember to do this when I'm re-running antenna cable later this year.

Kevin

 

[Don12364]

WitZend - Tape measure Bight

Hi,
I don't think you have understood my posting on using a steel tape measure.
The idea is to hold the tape horizontally with its edge upwards. Then bend the tape at the 12" mark and push this bight into the mast - and keep pushing.
The tape does indeed push other lines etc outwards and the loop grows to completely encompass the entire area of the mast - thus leaving a hole which is the only space left for the halyard to drop through.

 

[DougM]

A piece of bike chain or even sash chain on a light weight messenger line works for me. I use a ferrite magnet that is attached to a telescoping rod (similar to a skinny auto antenna and commercially available for a couple of bucks). I measure the drop length to the exit plate, have a friend slip the magnet through the exit plate opening to snag the messenger line. Then use the messenger to finish pulling the halyard end through.