How to replace lost halyard?

Stan Breaux · May 16, 2008

Someone on this board always suggests...

1. Find a bridge that you can get close to and then work on it from the bridge.2. Find a buddy with a tall mast, too (although I never coudl figure out how this woudl work.

Oldcat · May 16, 2008

Got a high place?

Is there a high place that you can motor up to? Someplace where you can get access to the mast? One of local lakes has an on-the-water mast crane, with something like that you could go up the crane in a bosun chair to the mast head. Maybe a building with a balcony that overhangs the water? Would boat-to boat work? Go up the mast of the other boat and heel yours over with the spin halyard. You will have to think long and hard about the safety of whatever solution you find - but there may be something around that would work.Just ideas, I take the mast down, but my mast is only 30 feet tall.OC

JoeD · May 16, 2008

Rent lift

Last year a friend rented a Gini which is a lift they use for construction work.He went in with a few people and they shared the cost. It was about $275.00 for a full day. They deliverd it to the Marina and picked it up.After it was all said and done about five people used it and the cost came down more. They pulled the boats to the bulkhead and up they went. Hope this helps.Joe

Rob19574 · May 16, 2008

Old Rigging

Chris -Last year I had my mast down and re-routed my halyards to run inside the mast. I had exit plates installed over the exit holes drilled into the mast that were about 6-8 feet above the base of the mast. It was difficult to route the halyards up through these holes being that they were 6-8 feet below the bottom of the mast. I also replaced the standing rigging that spring too so I had an old shroud in my garage. I used this to snake a messenger line up through the exit plate and north all the way to the mast head. I am not sure what the situation at the mast head is like but perhaps you could get the shroud close enough to where the halyard exists the masthead - and you could grab it. Its was a little different for me as it was on saw horses.This all assumes you have an old shroud around, a helper to snake it up and your able to get to the top of the mast. Your spin halyard ends though 5-6 feet below so that might be a problem unless your masthead is open and you could somehow grab the shroud with a boat-hook or something once it comes through....Just some creative suggestions...Rob

sailaway78 · May 16, 2008

The way I do it

My mast is 55'. The way I go up, when absolutely necessary, is to use the boom vang. I have 200' of 1/2 nylon reserved just for this purpose. I attach the rig to the spinnaker halyard, and haul it to the top. Then get in the bosuns chair and haul my skinny little but up. Have the main halyard attached as a back up, with someone tending that line. BE CAREFUL I fell from the spreaders a couple of years ago, doing this very same thing without a backup. There was a sharp edge up there somewhere, and I was up for a pretty long time installing new spreader lights. Swinging back and forth, and pretty much enjoying myselfr. The sharp edge, still haven't found it, cut the line, and I came down in a hurry. I can tell you from first hand experience that the fall isn't bad, but the sudden stop at the end is a bitch.

sailaway78 · May 16, 2008

Vang

I have a vang with a 4-1 ratio, so it isn't any big problem pulling myself up. Is actually quicker than you would think. PLEASE, HOWEVER YOU GO UP, BE CAREFUL

Shell · May 16, 2008

Find a bridge?

The water near the bridge better be smooth as glass with no wakes.One good bounce against the bridge and your mast will come down.Good luckSH

sailaway78 · May 16, 2008

Just say no

Just say no to the bridge idea. I have heard it suggested lots of times, but don't remember ever seeing a post where someone has actually done it. First, you are going to have to find a bridge the proper height, no easy feat. Then manage to get the boat secured so it won't move. Then you will have to get from the boat up on the bridge. Of course the water will have to be dead calm. And lastly, whatever you do will have to be done while leaning over a railing, hoping a passing car doesn't find you, and no boats come bye making a even small wake. Too many things that can go wrong, and when they can they will.

Bill Roosa · May 16, 2008

Is the halyard still there or did it drop down the mast?

If the halyard is still there and there is some "loop-like" structure on it you could get the boat hook out and go up the mast on the jib halyard. Snag the main and be sure to get pitcures. I have done this once and it did a number on my back but I was successful.The boat was in the water so I was properly motiveted to save $$$$ with a lot of elbo grease.

sailortonyb Allied Mis · May 16, 2008

Ever hear of Mast Climbers?

or something like that. Its similar to mountain climbing gear. You actually climb a rope using your legs for power lifting. If you can get to within 6 feet of the top, then transfer over to the topping lift and go higher. A rigger would know how to do it. I'm too lazy to explain and if you never did it before, you may get killed in the process.A person used to climbing rigging can do it safely.Tony B

Steve Dion · May 16, 2008

The yard may have a cherry picker.

Chris:Check with some of the yards they may have a cherry picker. They can hoist someone up there and drop a line down the mast.Do you have exit sheaves at the bottom of the mast?Other than this, you may be stuck with dropping the stick!

caguy · May 16, 2008

Here is something creative that might actually work.

Try tying a wad of paper or a small paper cone to a light messenger chord somethin like nylon thread. introduce it through the the bottom and blow it up with a blast of air. They use that technique for pulling cable through the underground computer conduit at school. That thing snaked through about 100' of conduit.Frank

T37 Phil · May 16, 2008

Climb up

You could buy a mast ladder. The steps slide right into the sail track. You could use the spin halyard for a belay line.

patrick · May 16, 2008

I did this a couple of months ago

It took several trips up and down to get it all done because of the fact that my topping lift and main halyard were crossed combined with the fact that I could not get the little fishing weight to pass over the top of the block. Check first if the lines are crossed. My boat has the topping lift exiting the mast on the starboard side. The topping lift should exit the top of the mast through the pulley on that same side.First, use the topping lift as a messenger to pull another replacement line to use for a halyard. My topping lift was too short to use as a normal halyard. It is strong enough but hard to grip. If your lines are crossed like mine were, just use the main halyard and you can later fish it out the base of the mast. If not, pull it through a snatch block at the base of the mast. After the snatch block, it passes through the starboard jib block and thence to the starboard winch. I attached the free end of the line to the base of the mast.Then I tried Jumar ascenders with a climbing harness but it was too dicey on the boat because of it moving around too much. Then I tried pulling the halyard very tight and that was a little better. I tried using a sail slide as well to keep from swinging around and that helped a lot.You can use the old method by having a friend winch you up there but you may help a little by climbing when you can. I got tired from helping and it made my hands shakey and cold when I finally got up there so keep that in mind. Also, I was not close enough to the mast head on my first trip to reach everything and had to redo my rig on the second trip to get higher. Even so, you will be working over your head and it is difficult to hang on, support yourself and fish the weight too.To get the fishing weight to fall over the top of the mast pulley, I used a short length of straw with the fishing line passed through it and that worked to push it over on my fourth trip. It sounds simple but you will see what I mean when you get up there. The pulley is much smaller than I expected and my fingers would not fit into the space where the line goes.I also used the second jib halyard attached to a long line (I used anchor rode) which I cleated to the next slip over and tightened to make the boat lean to one side and keep the weight on the proper side and keep it from swinging around other lines inside the mast.I used a short stiff electrical wire to hook the fishing line when it got to the bottom.It also may help to push the forward halyards against the front of the mast using the topping lift hole for access.A mast ladder or four part block might also work to get you up there but I did not have a ladder and the block hoist was too tiring for me.While I was up there, I replaced my broken Windex with one of the new ones with the spike to keep the birds off of it. It was seriously difficult to get it out. The threaded base was literally glued in place from corrosion. A hammer would not get it out so I took out the set screw and replaced only the upper portion.That is all I can think of but if any of this is confusing, ask again.Do not forget to use a safety line around the mast that will stop you at the next lower spreader. A Prussik knot will work too.

LloydB · May 16, 2008

go buy a 100 foot fishtape

all tho it may take a few tries to hit the right spot. Mast Mate however sounds like the best overall solution. Another possibility is a lift truck as used to replace light bulbs in parking lots/signs.

cbsailor · May 16, 2008

This might work

If your fractional rig is like mine (1988 33.5), you have the main halyard and the topping lift as the only two lines that go all the way to the mast head. A broken sheave and jammed halyard forced me to use the remaining line to hoist a Mast Mate to the top. A bosons chair could also be used, but may not give you the height you need to work the top of the mast head. I have a ZSpar mast which has a removable cap on the masthead. Once removed you can drop a small weighted line down the mast and fish it out at the bottom. A long electricians fish-tape might also work. If you use a small weighted line you will have to securely attach and fish in a larger messenger line and then fish in the new halyard. Sewing the new halyard to the messenger line with whipping twine and feeding the new halyard it slowly works best. Best of luck

Warren Milberg · May 16, 2008

I'm not familiar with the Hunter Legend 35,

but I am familiar with money, the all purpose tool that always works. Contact your local or mobile rigging shop and see what they say and how much they would charge to reeve you a new halyard. Most rigging shops do this kind of thing all the time -- and without the radical surgery and cost of unstepping a mast.

How to replace lost halyard?

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