Certainly mast down gives you the best opportunity to get it right. I lost my genoa halyard last spring and didn't want to spend $800 +/- to lower the mast. We tried dropping a weighted line from the top but he string hung up internally. The mast rake didn't help the line fall straight. In the end, I went to HF and bought three snake kits ( these are 12" sections that screw together}. I taped a messenger to the snake and pushed it up from the bottom (58'). Had the yard grab the messenger from a crane supported bosun's chair. There was a risk of twisting the messenger around the existing lines but took the risk and it paid off.
The yard had offered a suggestion that if going from the top, use a short length of bicycle chain as the weight. If it initially gets hung up, the chain usually will "roll" around the cross bolt or other minor obstruction.
Judy, you mention that you have one halyard that runs free, Why not use that to run the new messenger. By keeping the halyard and messenger taut as they are pulled you minimize the possibility of them twisting ass they go down the mast. Also creating some separation between the messenger and the halyard, (like taping a bunched paper towel between the messenger and the halyard at the initial joint) you create separation that works with the taut lines as they are pulled.
BTW, if you can, use a mirror and the sun to see inside the mast- much brighter than any flashlight .
The yard had offered a suggestion that if going from the top, use a short length of bicycle chain as the weight. If it initially gets hung up, the chain usually will "roll" around the cross bolt or other minor obstruction.
Judy, you mention that you have one halyard that runs free, Why not use that to run the new messenger. By keeping the halyard and messenger taut as they are pulled you minimize the possibility of them twisting ass they go down the mast. Also creating some separation between the messenger and the halyard, (like taping a bunched paper towel between the messenger and the halyard at the initial joint) you create separation that works with the taut lines as they are pulled.
BTW, if you can, use a mirror and the sun to see inside the mast- much brighter than any flashlight .