I Done A Bad Thing

[Steve Braverman]

I seem to have lost my jib halyard up the mast. Anybody have an idea of how to get it down without going aloft, taking the mast down, or giving me a lecture on how stupid it was of me in the first place to loose a halyard up the mast?It seems like the little lanyard on the shackle got caught on the wind indicator, and when I tried to lower the sail, it opened and the sail came down without the halyard.

 

[Ross]

If you can find some bamboo

that is long enough, put a hook on the skinny end.

 

[stephenH26]

Home Depot

Steve, A trip to youor local Home Depot will give you access to as many sections of 1/2" metal electrical conduit and connections as you need to hopefully get the job done...good luck!Stephen

 

[Bill Roosa]

Going aloft is a rite of passage

It is not as scarry or hard as folks would make it out. Especially the third time. For as long as you are going to be up there you could use a swiss seat. Not very comfortable but real cheap. Just make sure the "ground crew" hoisting you knows what they are doing.Welcome to the club.

 

[Chris]

Don't feel bad about yourself!

Most have done it, and those that haven't are just waiting to have it happen to them. Yours was a fluke, and you can avoid a repeat by changing the lanyard setup or the shackle type.Having said that, I haven't done it yet, so Im waiting...Options:1. Lower the mast and retrieve;2. Loooong piece of bamboo or pieces taped together with a hook at the skinny end;3. Bosun's chair (or two bowlines on the bight to make one) and go up using the jib halyard --rather you than me!4. Tie your jib halyard into an endless loop so you don't lose it as well, flip it behind the spreader and try to snag the shackle with it (sounds wacky but I've seen it done)(only works with a jib halyard that exits at the top of the mast; fractional rig is no good);5. The top of the mast may be reachable from a dock, building or a neighbor's boat.Good luck!!

 

[Bob]

getting high

A couple of years ago I needed to correct a furler problem near the masthead, and found that tying the boat up to a double decker private dock allowed me to deal with it without going up the mast. The masthead was still above where I was standing on the upper level, but was much easier to reach with a long slat.

 

[Fred Ficarra]

Sheeze,,,what's wrong with going up the mast?

We have partys up there. We watch boat races from there and take turns sharing the view. Of course the engine driven hydraulic primary winch takes the work out of it,,

 

[Steve Braverman]

Going Aloft

I'm not afraid of going aloft. I've done it before, just not with this boat. The problem is, I don't trust the old main halyard to lift my 200lbs. It's old and crusty, and I do intend on replacing it eventually.I do like the conduit idea though. I'll probably try that.

 

[Moody Buccaneer]

What?!?!

Going to replace it eventually? It's a 25 foot boat! We're talking maybe 80ft of 5/16 line at what..? $0.60 a foot? Less than $50?Instead of replace a line, you are going to spend how much on conduit and time?Buy a halyard and go up the mast ... sheesh.Late edit:A new main halyard in 5/16" Samson XLS with a new Wichard Shackle spliced in and the other end whipped is $101.91 right here in the Chandlery. The line itself is $0.40 a foot.

 

[Warren Milberg]

Two thoughts

1. This is the "opportunity" you've been waiting for to replace the main halyard.2. This is what money is for: get your local rigger to go aloft, remove the old halyard and reeve your new one in place. And, at most yards, this is not expensive.Finally, do you know how many people have been seriously injured not going aloft, but going aground once they were aloft? If you have any doubts about either your ability or your equipment, don't do it. Hire a pro. That's what they get paid for.Many years ago, I was between boats so I chartered a lot. On one boat on a windy day I reminded my wife to clip the main halyard on the life lines after taking down the main....right. She dropped it up the mast it went. Luckily, we were near a marina and so we motored over there. We explained the problem to the yard manager who promptly sent two kids over with a bosuns chair. Up one went, down came the halyard, and they were done in less than 10 minutes. The cost? They guiltily asked for $15 (they were being paid $7.50 an hour). We gave them a $20 and were on our way....

 

[Herb Parsons]

Steve

I've been in that same position, an "event" similar to Pete's right after we bought our boat.My wife was doing something to the halyard, and she just let it go (the end that attaches to the sail). I told her she should attach it to a lifeline. "How come" she asked, "So it doesn't accidentally go up the mast". As she was explaining to me that it didn't look like it was going anywhere, up the mast it went.We lowered the mast rather than try to go up. It was worth it though, that bought me about a week of "no questions asked" on working on things.

 

[Joe on Alure]

One more idea

One more idea: when I had to retrieve main halyard on ODAY 26, I borrowed an extra-long extension ladder (two long sections) and erected it forward of the mast. then I raised one section at a time and secured it to the mast. voila! The biggest surprise (disappointment) was that the ladder went 6-8 feet into the mud (to get ladder from finger pier onto fore area of DAME KIND) and all was covered with oily slime from WWII days when spent oil was jettisoned over the side.

 

[Rich Stidger]

OK, here is my method ......

One winter I lost 3 of my 4 halyards up the mast due to my chaser lines breaking (way too small).The only line I had left was the topping lift line.What I did was to tie another line to the topping lift line and tape a large hook made from a piece of 14 guage solid electrical wire. A coat hanger would probably work as well.With the hook facing down, I raised the topping lift and hook to the top of the mast and by rotating and manuvering the downhaul line I was able to hook the shackle on the main halyard and pull it down.Once I had the main halyard, I simply went up on the main halyard and retrieved the jib halyard and the spinaker halyard.I now use 1/4" chaser lines during the winter so I don't break smaller lines.This proceedure sounds like it probably won't work, but it only took me maybe 5 minutes to hook the main halyard. The key was that the topping lift sheave was right next to the main halyard sheave, so the hook was right in the correct spot.

 

[Joe]

Drop the mast

As the previous owner of an O'Day 25, I would not have gone up the mast. The O'Day mast is near the bottom end of the scale (in my opinion) that I would want to climb. MUCH easier to just drop the mast, take care of business, and put it back up. Been there, cont that, not a major undertaking. While at it, check your bulbs, antenna, windex, etc from the comfort of deck level. MUCH easier that all the fishing trips with long lengths of PVC or electrical conduit.

 

[Echo Gulf]

Extension Ladder

Steve, Been there done that etc. The only difference is that my mast is 42ft high. Since myself and the crew are to old or infirm to use the bosun's chair either as occupant or hoisting power, I've been using a long extention ladder obtained from a local equipment rental firm ($15 a day). Use one of the other halyards to pull it up the mast and then lash the base to the foredeck. It may not be at the recommended angle, but if well secured it will suffice. If you have another halyard or line available, I recommend using it as a safety line.Best of luck,EG

 

[rsn48]

Using a dock

Sometimes a stationary dock can be quite high, high enough that on a very low seasonal tide, like now, you can take your boat over to this dock and have the mast top within reach. It doesn't have to be a dock, just anything high that has water beside it deep enough to take your boat.

 

[Steve Braverman]

I did it!

I got the halyard down today. I bought an extendable paint roller handle that extends to 24' from Home Depot. It's telescopic, and may come in handy in the future. The lanyard on the shackle was really stuck between the mast and the Windex.

 

[John]

Broom stick

I duck tape a broom stick to the halyard that is left.tape the bottom and center of the stick ,on the top end put a light line long enought to reach the deck , then on the tip top tape a fish hook or wire .standing on the side of the boat with the sun to your back raise the hook even with the mast head and you can work the tip of the broom around the mast by working the ropes together and hooking the halyard and pull it down. I also use a broom stick the same way to raise a large flag above my mast head.Or you can just pull your wife up there to get it . John