How to install/snake an internal halyard?

RitSim

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Jan 29, 2018
406
Beneteau 411 Branford
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 .
 
Oct 22, 2014
20,993
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
You can remove the lower sheave exit box by drilling out the rivets. Then reach in and grab the line. Once the line is fed through the sheave box, reinstall the box. Usually 2-4 rivets and your done.

Here is an example of a Ronstan Sheave box. This one uses 6 rivets or threaded screws to install.

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Likes: shemandr
Jan 19, 2010
1,169
Catalina 34 Casco Bay
I realize that the effort of this post centers around replacing a lost halyard. But, should a reader be contemplating a replacement of a halyard, I offer this simple and fool proof way:

Let's say it's the main halyard. 2 options. One that keeps the old halyard intact ( 2 steps) and the other that cuts the shackle from the old halyard ( one step). Should you wish to retain the old halyard, you will need to use a spare line or serviceable spare halyard. Take a large paperclip and open it. Push the end of the clip thru the old halyard about 3/4" from the butt end and bend the protruding end back and parallel to the rest of the clip. Place the other line's butt end against the halyard's ( butt to butt) and push the other one of the clip through and repeat the bend back process. Electrical tape the joint starting above the clip and ending below the other end.... Haul away... After retrieving the taped joint that has gone up, down and exited the mast, untape, free the clip end from the old halyard, attach the new halyard in the same manner and pull it back thru,,,