How are your halyards?

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Scott

We have our mast down this winter for refurbishing. Ours is a Kenyon model 4060-MORC a little over 33' long. The mast head has 4 sheaves in the traditional arrangement. It also has a spinnaker crane offset to the port side, but we have no block for a spinnaker halyard at this time. We use hank-on headsails but will eventually convert to roller furling (either Schaefer or Harkin most likely). The PO had the main halyard on the aft starboad sheave and the headsail halyard on the forward port sheave. The internal halyards exit the mast on the starboard side for main and port side for headsail. These are the only exit sleeves on the mast. There was no spare halyard with this set-up. I've read that the traditional set-up is to run the headsail and mainsail halyards over the starboard sheaves, fore and aft respectively, and a spare halyard that runs over both of the port sleeves, externally fore and aft. Is this what most of you folks do? Does anybody run with 4 halyards, all internal? If you just carry the one spare external halyard, what uses to you find you have for it? When I add a spinnaker halyard, is it better to route inside the mast with an entrance sleave near the top and an exit sleave near the base, or is an external halyard satisfactory? How much of a project is it to add sleaves for additional internal halyards? All advise is absolutely welcome!
 
Oct 25, 2005
735
Catalina 30 Banderas Bay, Mexico
The spare halyard idea is a good one.

The main on Starboard, jib on Port convention dates back to external halyards and mast mounted halyard winches. Its the arrangement that gives the fairest lead to the winch. Now that most boats lead halyards aft (why, is a whole 'nuther thread) it makes little difference. Since you have the opportunity to make the change, I think it is a good one. Using the Portside sheaves for an external halyard gives you a halyard that can be used for either jib or main. It is the setup we recommend to when we modify older masts or build new masts for cruisers. As far as the spinnaker goes, yes, an external halyard is just fine. If you decide to run the spin halyard internal, the exit should be on the starboard side and high off the deck (so foredeck crew cam jump it as Paul suggests). The reason that the spin crane is to Port is that most races leave the weather mark to Port and the fastest set is a bear-away. The Portside crane and Starboardside halyard exit gives the halyard a fair lead away from the headstay and puts the halyard crew on the high side of the boat. Randy
 
S

Scott

Thanks for replies ...

I'll plan on an external halyard for the spinnaker. Paul, I think the spare halyard run externally over both the port sheaves will serve the purpose of a dual headsail halyard without having to install any exit holes in the mast. I guess my question was whether or not anybody saw any purpose in having each of the four sheaves serve a separate halyard (not including the spinnaker halyard) which would necessitate a separate exit hole for each of the four halyards. When one spare halyard is draped over the 2 port sheaves, it exits the masthead externally both fore and aft and can serve either a main sail or a head sail as Moody describes. This is what I will do.
 
Mar 22, 2004
733
Hunter 30 Vero Beach
Halyards

I have four internal halyards and 1 external on my H30 plus a topping lift. If I have any problems, I should be ok. I'd like to thank the PO for having all the halyards in place. At least he did something right!
 
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Scott

Typical for fractional rig?

I wasn't thinking about the distinction at first. I suppose that would be typical for a fractional rig where 2 halyards would not be at the mast head, correct? Do you have 2 at the mast head leding aft and 2 leading forward for the headsails?
 
Jul 20, 2005
2,422
Whitby 55 Kemah, Tx
My B&R fractional rig

Has 4 interal sleaves. Topping lift, main haylard are aft and jib and spin are foreward. The topping lift is the same type of line as the main haylard so it can be used as a backup main haylard. It can also be used to hoist a storm sail which my mast has a seperate track for. I like how it's setup very well. Also like how each shroud has a backup.
 
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