Help! My halyard slaps against the mast when at the mooring in any wind over 10 kts. The sound is slowly driving me crazy. I have external halyards and I have tried tensioning them, and tried placing a rolled up sweatshirt between the halyard and the mast just above the cleat where I tie it off. Neither helped. Does anyone know how to make it stop?
Halyard Slap
- Thread starter Chris Pike
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Slap
Place a small board (1" X 2" X 2') as high as you can reach between the mast and the end of the halyard that attaches to the head of the sail. Tie off the other end of the halyard to a hand rail or fitting away from the mast, then tighten the halyard. On my boat, this keeps the halyard off the mast, thus no slap.
Place a small board (1" X 2" X 2') as high as you can reach between the mast and the end of the halyard that attaches to the head of the sail. Tie off the other end of the halyard to a hand rail or fitting away from the mast, then tighten the halyard. On my boat, this keeps the halyard off the mast, thus no slap.
tie them off
disconect your haylards at both ends (mast and sail) and tie them off. I usualy fix them to the forward rails. The only slapping you may still have is at the very top of the mast. Rob
disconect your haylards at both ends (mast and sail) and tie them off. I usualy fix them to the forward rails. The only slapping you may still have is at the very top of the mast. Rob
Simple Solution - Bungee
Those halyards can be a bit to listen to after awhile on any crowded dock. The easiest method is to simply cleat them down the best you can and jump up on the deck with a decent piece of bungee and hook one end to the halyard and one to the shroud. Tight is good! Do not place too high up the shroud. This setup will save your lifelines. I have both my halyards quieted this way and when your ready to sail, take them down and hoist your sails. Bob
Those halyards can be a bit to listen to after awhile on any crowded dock. The easiest method is to simply cleat them down the best you can and jump up on the deck with a decent piece of bungee and hook one end to the halyard and one to the shroud. Tight is good! Do not place too high up the shroud. This setup will save your lifelines. I have both my halyards quieted this way and when your ready to sail, take them down and hoist your sails. Bob
the Devils harp
is what old timers call it. If you can hear it you've got friction. Friction means wear - not good. Tie your halyards off near the edge of the deck away from the mast. The toe rail, bow pulpit, stern pulpit, lifeline - somewhere - and try not putting so much tension on the line. No need to make it as tight as a guitar string. Good luck Kurt
is what old timers call it. If you can hear it you've got friction. Friction means wear - not good. Tie your halyards off near the edge of the deck away from the mast. The toe rail, bow pulpit, stern pulpit, lifeline - somewhere - and try not putting so much tension on the line. No need to make it as tight as a guitar string. Good luck Kurt
STOPPING SLAP
"Chris--" With the Main flaked and covered, 1.)Pull your lead portion of halyard (After undoing the stop knots) thru the blocks and wrap it around the mast several times top to bottom and clet it off or loop it over the mast wench. 2.)If you have stop knots on the halyards just pull the halyard forward til it stops in the aft cabin block, loop the excess around the mast top to bottom, pull the excess over the mast clet or wench go aft and take-up the slack and clet it. Note: This only works from the spreaders down.
"Chris--" With the Main flaked and covered, 1.)Pull your lead portion of halyard (After undoing the stop knots) thru the blocks and wrap it around the mast several times top to bottom and clet it off or loop it over the mast wench. 2.)If you have stop knots on the halyards just pull the halyard forward til it stops in the aft cabin block, loop the excess around the mast top to bottom, pull the excess over the mast clet or wench go aft and take-up the slack and clet it. Note: This only works from the spreaders down.
"Spread" them out
When I leave the boat, I get enough slack in the halyards to swing them around the end of the spreaders (main halyard over starboard spreader and jib over port). Then tighten them down snug and no more slap because the spreaders keep them away from the mast.
When I leave the boat, I get enough slack in the halyards to swing them around the end of the spreaders (main halyard over starboard spreader and jib over port). Then tighten them down snug and no more slap because the spreaders keep them away from the mast.
Yep, bungee cords is it.
Yep, Bob of Georgia is right on. Bungee cords are cheep, just install one like Bob says, and you are done.
Yep, Bob of Georgia is right on. Bungee cords are cheep, just install one like Bob says, and you are done.
Jim's method works well.
Chris: The method that Jim mentioned is what we have always done. You just whip the halyard over the end of the spreader. This keeps it about as far from the mast as you can get it. The other end (shackle end) can be attached to a life line or tow rail. This has worked for us for many years. You also do not need to worry about flipping the bungees overboard.
Chris: The method that Jim mentioned is what we have always done. You just whip the halyard over the end of the spreader. This keeps it about as far from the mast as you can get it. The other end (shackle end) can be attached to a life line or tow rail. This has worked for us for many years. You also do not need to worry about flipping the bungees overboard.
Steve is right on that flipping thing
Yep, I have flipped my bungees, twice. We would motor out to a nice breezy spot, and I went forward to ready the main. I unhooked my bungee and twang....now, where did that thingy go? I am glad it didn't take my eyeball out and take it along with it. Hmmmm....maybe I just might try the spreader method.
Yep, I have flipped my bungees, twice. We would motor out to a nice breezy spot, and I went forward to ready the main. I unhooked my bungee and twang....now, where did that thingy go? I am glad it didn't take my eyeball out and take it along with it. Hmmmm....maybe I just might try the spreader method.
...can only happen if they are stored near the mast. Therefore, my main halyard is shackled to the aft end of the boom, the 2 jib halyards are kept port and stbd on the bow rail and the spinnaker halyards on the anchor roller. None are anywhere near the mast, as a result no halyard slap in any wind conditions.
alan, what if you had external halyards?
Alan: If you have external halyards, there are two ends exposed. What do you do with the other end?
Alan: If you have external halyards, there are two ends exposed. What do you do with the other end?
Fixing halyard slap, old style
I used all of the above at one time or another, then decided to copy the system used on a lot of the old gaffers I grew up with on the Maine coast. They called them thumb cleats because there was just one prong. Put one on the forward edge of one spreader and the aft edge of the other, about halfway out from the mast, with the prong pointing outboard. Main hooks over the forward one, jib the aft. Made them from regular plastic cleats with a little sawing and grinding.
I used all of the above at one time or another, then decided to copy the system used on a lot of the old gaffers I grew up with on the Maine coast. They called them thumb cleats because there was just one prong. Put one on the forward edge of one spreader and the aft edge of the other, about halfway out from the mast, with the prong pointing outboard. Main hooks over the forward one, jib the aft. Made them from regular plastic cleats with a little sawing and grinding.
halyards noise
If you have shroud spreaders, just flip the halyards over them to keep them away from the mast during mooring.
If you have shroud spreaders, just flip the halyards over them to keep them away from the mast during mooring.
I went for the cheap solution
I just tied a short line to the grabrail, with enough slack to create a small loop. When I am done for the day, I just clip the main halyard to the loop, then pull the halyard snug and secure it. Done. This keep the halyard about 6' away from the mast, or anthing else. Nice and quite, and simple and cheap.
I just tied a short line to the grabrail, with enough slack to create a small loop. When I am done for the day, I just clip the main halyard to the loop, then pull the halyard snug and secure it. Done. This keep the halyard about 6' away from the mast, or anthing else. Nice and quite, and simple and cheap.
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