Changing halyards... three options

[Brian D]

Option one: Connect a 7/16 line to the old halyard and pull it thru the mast and over the mast head. Connect the new to the same 7/16 and then pull it back.Option two: Cut the shackle off the old halyard and mate the old and new. With the old pulling out and over the mast head, the new get pulled in.Option three: Cut the shackle off the old halyard and tie a 7/16 line to it. Pull the old out thru the mast head then connect the new to the 7/16 line then pull back in thru the mast.I don't want to unstep the mast so these are my options, I think. My concern is getting a snag at the top of the mast and having to go up anyway. I think options one and three are very similar with option one being the easiest.Do you have another option?

 

[Bill]

messenger line...

Just use a messenger line. Whip a messenger loop on the bitter end of your old halyard- tie an 1/8th inch messenger line to it (I like a bowline, but whatever). Pull it through. New halyard should already have a messenger loop in it (if it doesn't, smack your rigger- then do it yourself) and pull it back through. Using 7/16ths line for both pieces is asking for a jam somewhere.B

 

[Nereussailor]

Halyards

I've done this a couple of times and never had a problem. Take whiping twine or upholstry thread and sew your halyards end to end run the thread through the halyards about 5-6 times and wrap it around the outside of both lines. It helps if you melt or glue the ends first to keep them from unraveling. Pull your halyards through slowly. If for some reason it feels like it's binding up, back it off and try again. It shouldn't bind up anywhere. I did it with double braid and then formed the eye for the shackle once it was over the sheaves. If you buy premade halyards, You'll probably have to cut the eyesplice off the old halyard then sew the ends together. I found that it was much cheaper to buy the line and do my own splices.

 

[r.w.landau]

Option # 4, Don't cut off the shackle.

Sew it to your new halyard on the other end, and pull it through, then splice the new shackle on. That way you have a spare halyard.If it is a prespliced halyard,Sew on a smaller messenger line, pull it through, disconnect the intact old halyard, then sew on the new halyard to the messenger and pull it back throughThat old halyard will make a great dingy painter or just a spare halyard. Then there is option #5 where you send the smaller Boat Babe up the mast.... It's that or walk the plank!r.w.landau

 

[Alan]

Option #5

Make up the new halyard with a long eye splice. If you are using the same shackle again then cut it off the old halyard and join the end of the new with the head of the old. Pull the new halyard through and install the shackle on the long eye splice. You will never again have to cut the shackle out of your halyards.I use these splices on all of my halyards for quick and easy shackle changes for whatever reason.

 

[Larry Wilson]

re : Changing halyards... three options

Brian,Assuming that your halyards are all rope,(1) a messenger sewn to the bitter end, pull up thru the mast, cut off the old halyard sew the new bitter end to the messenger pull it over the sheave, down thru the mast. If the halyard is wire to rope, you probably don't have any choice but to (2)cut the shackle end, securely tape a messenger to the wire, pull down thru the mast from the bitter end. reverse to install the new halyard, and nico press a new eye with shackle. (unless you have wire/rope sheaves) in which case go back to (1)(3) Buy a case of beer, chill (you and the beer) call a rigger, and relax. On my older Columbia Sabre I have external wire to rope halyards with side by side wire/rope sheaves. I changed out both the main and the jib halyard at the same time, and just reversed them. Main is now jib, and vice versa. This doesn't work on my 8.7 as I have wire only sheaves.

 

[Tony Litvak]

Fuse

I learned that the easiest way to change a halyard is to fuse the tail end of the old halyard with the new halyard over an open source of heat. The lines will fuse when hot and if you mold the lines with a pliers (or your fingers if you are careful) then the line will be tout and should have no kinks. Once you get the line through the block and down the mast, cut the old line and you're done. This beats any other ideas that I've seen or the complications with splicing lines, etc.

 

[Steve Dion]

try this!

Brian:We have used the paper clip method many times without ANY problems. Cut the shackle and link the two lines together. It is probably less than 5 min. per line.Each time I do this I have wondered why I ever spent all that time sewing the lines together. It is normally difficult to tell when the join goes over the sheave.

 

[Brian D]

Thanks everyone...

Funny thing happened the other day. I was measuring my mast height by clipping my tape measure on the main halyard. When I got the halyard to the top, it got stuck. Scared the hell out of me, but I eventually got it down. Hence the question on changing out the halyards and the potential for getting stuck.Appreciate the advise. I like the paper clip method, but I didn't really want to cut the shackle off. If I have to, I have to. I also thought 7/16 would be good but maybe 3/16 is better as a snake.Let me hash over the options and then take a deep breath and do it.Thanks again. This site rules!

 

[Steve Dion]

If you don't want to cut the shackle off....

Brian:If you really don't want to cut the shackle off, then just attach a piece of heavy duty line to the bitter end of the halyard. You can use the paper clip method or you can sew them together. Pull the halyard through and then reverse the process with the same line that you lowered the old halyard with. Use just a few wraps of rigging tape around the joint. This work well too.

 

[Brian D]

I was thinking the same thing, Steve...

Soon as I get the halyards, I can begin. Thanks.