Halyard retrieval
- Thread starter dserrell
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try a long surf casting rod, taped to a boat hook, while standing on the boom.
Done, years ago, when a guest was "helping." He started hoisting too soon.
Lineman have the perfect tool, or something close to it. When closing breakers on poles they do not do it from the bucket, they do it from the safety of the ground with a long telescoping pole.
Most people go through this only once!
Done, years ago, when a guest was "helping." He started hoisting too soon.
Lineman have the perfect tool, or something close to it. When closing breakers on poles they do not do it from the bucket, they do it from the safety of the ground with a long telescoping pole.
Most people go through this only once!
We have a rule on my boat: If you let the halyard go up the mast, it is up to you to retrieve it...and you owe the rest of the crew a case of their favorite beverage. 
This has prevented this sort of mishap from occurring. You can try using a halyard retriever, provided the halyard hasn't gone all the way to the mast head... If it has gone all the way to the masthead, you'll need to go aloft and retrieve it manually.
This has prevented this sort of mishap from occurring. You can try using a halyard retriever, provided the halyard hasn't gone all the way to the mast head... If it has gone all the way to the masthead, you'll need to go aloft and retrieve it manually.
That's a good idea sailingdog you could tie the jib halyard to the belt of the perpetrator and the rest of the crew can hoist him up.
Judging from the pictures in your album it doesn't look like you have a jib halyard or spinnaker halyard available to you unless you take down your furler.
People have reported on previous post using a snag (bent piece of clothes hanger with a sharp hook) taped to the end of 1'' PVC pipe.
BTW nice mods on your boat.
I just had this question from another C34 sailor: While working on some issues re the "spreaders" up on the mast, one of the guys was standing on the boom in the area where it attaches to the mast. We did no realize until later that his weight had actually forced the boom to separate from the mast at the connection. Where I am describing is the plate that bolts on to the mast & has a pretty good sized pin( for lack of better word) that actually fits in to the end of the boom & is secured with a cotter pin inside the boom end. When the fellow was standing on the boom ( again where it attaches to the mast) his weight apparently broke the cotter pin inside the boom & the large pin attached to the plate(which is bolted to the mast) pulled out of the boom & thus the separation described above. Our problem is figuring how to the the plate on the fore end of the boom off so that we can re-insert the large pin through opening & secure it inside the boom with a cotter pin.
I would caution standing on a boom, it's usually not made for those loads, if not the boom extrusion itself, at least the gooseneck.
Your idea is great and could be done from the deck, only a few feet longer a "throw."
If you have a extra halyard you can tape a length of clothes hanger wire to it leaving about 18'' loose at the top. I made a hook and sharpened the end by cutting with a pair of diagonal cutters at a sharp angel. It takes a few trials and adjustment but I was able to eventually snag the halyard. I've used this 3 times so far and it works.
Good luck and good patience.
Gosh that's flimsy. I've seen very few dingies that couldn't take body weight.
Just my thoughts from here, not having seen the arraignment. But it strains credulity and begs redesign. For example, if I fall against the boom while furling in waves, it will break? I hope not. I would examine the facts and the design if I were the owner.
I really wonder if that was the cause, when you consider the crazy forces that hit the gooseneck during a wild jibe, I don't believe body weight did it. When the boom whips out of control in big seas, it is jerked all manner of directions. I think it was already broken and his weight caused the parts to shift position.
Just my thoughts from here, not having seen the arraignment. But it strains credulity and begs redesign. For example, if I fall against the boom while furling in waves, it will break? I hope not. I would examine the facts and the design if I were the owner.
Since it was my fubar...
...on the hoist of the symmetric kite 3+ miles west of Michigan City, IN in light wind with 34+ miles to go till the finish line, the crew had to hoist me up using only the spare jib halyard.
Not the preferred system (no back-up), but helm kept our speed up (if you could call it that) and the climbing harness was located, pulled on and I was up-and-down in about 8-minutes.
Unfortunately, the disposable camera used to snap the 'hoist crew' and the surrounding boats while at the tip dislodged somehow, bounced off the cabin top and plunked laterally into Lake Michigan. Not fortunate enough to have it carom back into the cockpit.
Snapped the halyard to the head of the kite, hoisted and off we were! Wish I had those pics for perspective but we've had a story to tell at my expense.
...on the hoist of the symmetric kite 3+ miles west of Michigan City, IN in light wind with 34+ miles to go till the finish line, the crew had to hoist me up using only the spare jib halyard.
Not the preferred system (no back-up), but helm kept our speed up (if you could call it that) and the climbing harness was located, pulled on and I was up-and-down in about 8-minutes.
Unfortunately, the disposable camera used to snap the 'hoist crew' and the surrounding boats while at the tip dislodged somehow, bounced off the cabin top and plunked laterally into Lake Michigan. Not fortunate enough to have it carom back into the cockpit.
Snapped the halyard to the head of the kite, hoisted and off we were! Wish I had those pics for perspective but we've had a story to tell at my expense.
I haven't. Yet. A couple years ago I replaced my old rope and wire halyards with Amsteel. I haven't tried it, but the line is so light that I think the weight of the thimble and shackle on the end would probably bring it down.
I have never retrieved a hallard, but I had a remote controllled plane stuck in a tree about 35 feet in the air. A friend recommended using tv ariel (remember those)mast to retrieve it. It worked great. It might be getting hard to find these days of cable, but I found it at Lowes. It comes in 4 foot sections, is easy to assemble, breaks down againeasily and is light to handle. You would have to fasion some type of hook.
Dennis
Dennis
I retrieved a Main halyard on a Bristol 24 last year with a coat hanger taped to a Jib halyard. I tied a 3/8" straight line to the Jib Halyard shackle so that I could manipulate the hook of the hanger and snag the lost halyard. As a retired power company lineman, I have a lot of experience in pulling line fuses 35' on a utility pole from the ground with a telescopic hot line stick, and believe me, the coat hanger bent in the shape of a hook is a heck of a lot easier.
Joe
Joe
In my youth I would skinny up wooden masts without harness or hoist. Like an islander going up a palm for a coconut. Now I think my weight exceeds the load limit of any halyard on my boat, and possibly that of the mast too
The couple of times recently that a halyard got away, it didn't get pulled up very far. With the right roll of the boat I was able to snag them with my boat hook. I carry one that telescopes out about 12 feet.
The couple of times recently that a halyard got away, it didn't get pulled up very far. With the right roll of the boat I was able to snag them with my boat hook. I carry one that telescopes out about 12 feet.
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