Adding halyard rollers up the mast head

[S/Y Obelix]

Hello fellow Beneteau owners;

After recent inspection of the mast top, I discovered that there are no rollers in the mast to install any additional halyards.

I would like to install an additional headsail halyard( gennaker or spinnaker) but no rollers present in the mast top. Anyone who has experience with this? Can it be installed ?

Thanks for the advice as always

Obelix

 

[Justin_NSA]

Does it need to be internal? You could use a bail or tang if you want to run an external halyard

 

[RitSim]

Don't know the Z-spar site for you but the US site is USspars.com
See the link below for the catalogs - find the correct catalog and look for the mast detail - you don't say what year, or whether this is a standard or furling mast. From there you can get the mast aprt number and then the sheave/axle part numbers albeit US parts but maybe this will help the European seller.

Catalogs

US Spars Catalogs 2018 Parts Catalog 2009 Parts Catalog Pre-2000 Parts Catalog

www.usspars.com

My mast accommodates numerous sheaves and halyards - all internal. The sheaves are in two layers.

Good luck

 

[DougM]

There are openings for four sheaves ,as I recall, in the masthead casting used on a 323. Its a US Spars mast.
The good news is that there may be an available slot for a sheave. The bad news is it would be on the same axle as the existing sheaves, and that is held captive by the mast extrusion. The only was to get at it is to drill the rivets out and remove the casting and there is no safe way to do it without unstepping the mast or hiring a bucket truck in my opinion.


I stand corrected, as Ron’s photos illustrate. Probably had the masthead and boom end confused in my pea sized brain.

 

[RitSim]

My sheaves (1999 US Spars) were not riveted in and just held in place in side slots on the mast top casting.

 

[Ron20324]

FYI, Doug...

 

[Slider]

It can be done! I did it on a 323 that was a 2007 model. Ordered the parts from the mast maker. It requires going up the mast and a hammer to install the wheel and shaft. Good luck and be safe.

 

[Sailfanatic]

Hello fellow Beneteau owners;

After recent inspection of the mast top, I discovered that there are no rollers in the mast to install any additional halyards.

I would like to install an additional headsail halyard( gennaker or spinnaker) but no rollers present in the mast top. Anyone who has experience with this? Can it be installed ?

Thanks for the advice as always

Obelix

My initial response was to say that for a spinnaker halyard, it doe snot matter whats on the masthead, and the spinnaker halyard should fly from a crane or bail which locates the spinnaker halyard over and ahead of the forestay. See the comments on this subject below from RigRite. Now I know this is necessary advice, because if you fly a symmetric spinnaker from a masthead exit halyard, if you jibe the spinnaker, you may find it wont come down because the halyard/shackle hangs on the furler swivel. I learned this the hard way.

But if you are only planning to fly an asym, then I think you may be able to get away with using a "headsail" halyard, a halyard exiting from the masthead, not to be confused with a true spinnaker halyard. I am open to other opinions on this, but I just realized I've flown a cruising spinnaker from a masthead/jib halyard for a number of years without thinking about it, and never had a problem lowering it.

From Masthead Spinnaker Bails

Masthead Spinnaker Bails

Masthead Spinnaker Bails are used to attach a Swivel Block for a Spinnaker Halyard at the top of the Mast, and forward of the Headstay. This arrangement allows the Spinnaker to be tacked forward of the Headstay, as all true Spinnakers must. Most Standard Spinnaker Bails can be attached to the Masthead with screws and locknuts, some Masthead configurations have insufficient clearance for nuts on the underside and mounting will require threaded holes for machine screws.

 

[S/Y Obelix]

Thanks everyone, very useful info!!
(2007 model, standard sail, came delivered with the ‘light’ option of lines on port side only, will slowly work towards a fully fitted boat with more options available, want to do a little club class racing etc)

 

[Sailfanatic]

My initial response was to say that for a spinnaker halyard, it doe snot matter whats on the masthead, and the spinnaker halyard should fly from a crane or bail which locates the spinnaker halyard over and ahead of the forestay. See the comments on this subject below from RigRite. Now I know this is necessary advice, because if you fly a symmetric spinnaker from a masthead exit halyard, if you jibe the spinnaker, you may find it wont come down because the halyard/shackle hangs on the furler swivel. I learned this the hard way.

But if you are only planning to fly an asym, then I think you may be able to get away with using a "headsail" halyard, a halyard exiting from the masthead, not to be confused with a true spinnaker halyard. I am open to other opinions on this, but I just realized I've flown a cruising spinnaker from a masthead/jib halyard for a number of years without thinking about it, and never had a problem lowering it.

From Masthead Spinnaker Bails

Masthead Spinnaker Bails

Masthead Spinnaker Bails are used to attach a Swivel Block for a Spinnaker Halyard at the top of the Mast, and forward of the Headstay. This arrangement allows the Spinnaker to be tacked forward of the Headstay, as all true Spinnakers must. Most Standard Spinnaker Bails can be attached to the Masthead with screws and locknuts, some Masthead configurations have insufficient clearance for nuts on the underside and mounting will require threaded holes for machine screws.

SO I need to make a more complete statement about halyards and spinnakers.

Assuming that a spinnaker halyard is a halyard that flys from a bail over the forestay, as opposed to a headsail halyard, which exits from the masthead, under or next to the forestay.

If you plan to fly a spinnaker which will jibe in front of the forestay, for example, a symmetric spinnaker or an asym flying from a sprit or pole, you need to rig a spinnaker halyard

for a spinnaker which will jibe aft of the forestay, such as an asym attached to the stemhead, you can use a headsail halyard or a spinnaker halyard.

I think this covers the issue.