Made a bonehead rookie mistake with the 23.5....Stepped the mast and at the end found the mainsheet had come completely out...How to thread the line back through the mast????
Hunter 23.5 Main Sheet out of mast!
- Thread starter Cape Charles
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Never did this myself, but a fish tape seems like it would work. When I replaced my halyards, i taped a thin nylon line, like electricians would use to pull wires through conduit, to the end of the halyard. It worked well.
It would help that the jib sheet is taught when pulling the other line and the mast is at an downward angle. When pulling, also keep the line taunt particularly if there is a small linebeing used or it could come off the sheave where it enters the mast.
a neat fish tape that you can make out of zipites.
a radio tech showed me how to make a fish tape using zip ties. depending on what you need match the various lengths and widths, clip off the zip lock ends and tape together. These work great, need more length tape more sections together, smaller, larger, just get what ya need from hardware or autoparts store....
Another nice gadget is a CEN-TECH 3/16 fiberglass wire running kit. Ten sections of fiberglass tubing screw together and form a flexible/rigid fish tape up to 33 ft. I used this on my boat when my main halyard broke (mast had to be down). You can buy 2 sets and end up with 60 feet but be careful with that much length it may break at a connector.. Available at Harbor Freight tools, not very expensive and saves a bunch of headaches....
a radio tech showed me how to make a fish tape using zip ties. depending on what you need match the various lengths and widths, clip off the zip lock ends and tape together. These work great, need more length tape more sections together, smaller, larger, just get what ya need from hardware or autoparts store....
Another nice gadget is a CEN-TECH 3/16 fiberglass wire running kit. Ten sections of fiberglass tubing screw together and form a flexible/rigid fish tape up to 33 ft. I used this on my boat when my main halyard broke (mast had to be down). You can buy 2 sets and end up with 60 feet but be careful with that much length it may break at a connector.. Available at Harbor Freight tools, not very expensive and saves a bunch of headaches....
Finally solved the problem but it was tricky because there is no direct access to the slot where the main sheet goes through the mast. We took the mast down and put some tiny lead weights on a fishing line and used a coat hanger to push the weights past the sheave at the masthead and into the hole where the sheet runs. Then we stepped the mast and after a couple of tries, the lead weights dragged the fishing line down through the mast. I used a coat hanger again to pull out the fishing line through the hole where the main sheet exits the mast. Then we used the fishing line to pull string through the mast, and string to pull the line through. Whew!
Gents;
If you can find the sewer wire snake which is more rigid than line, that willl be better to use. In addition, tilt the mast and shake it so the wire or weights will go down as it tremendoulsly helps using the above tricks.
Dave condon
If you can find the sewer wire snake which is more rigid than line, that willl be better to use. In addition, tilt the mast and shake it so the wire or weights will go down as it tremendoulsly helps using the above tricks.
Dave condon
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