jammed halyard and climbing the mast

ambler

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Dec 7, 2013
60
catalina 22 11619 Watauga Lake, TN
yesterday raising the jib on my 1883 Catalina 22 and halfway up it locked up solid. Turns out the wire halyard had jumped the groove and jammed between the sheave and the casting. Any suggestions as to how to prevent this happening again?.)
I've also read that climbing to the top of the mast isn't safe on a boat as small as the cat 22. Any experience/opinions here? (I climbed a larger boat with mast steps and pulled my mast over, but if I'm alone next time..)
 
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JRacer

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Aug 9, 2011
1,331
Beneteau 310 Cheney KS (Wichita)
I would not recommend climbing the mast on that boat. Must have a worn out sheave or wear of the exit box. Going to have to drop the mast to sort it out, I think.
 
May 23, 2016
1,024
Catalina 22 #12502 BSC
ditto, don't climb, drop the mast, and at some point consider switching to rope halyards (and change out the sheaves), eze task...
 
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ambler

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Dec 7, 2013
60
catalina 22 11619 Watauga Lake, TN
everybody agrees - don't climb. Figure it would topple over? Anyone else had a wire halyard jam?
 
Sep 30, 2013
3,538
1988 Catalina 22 North Florida
I very seriously doubt it would topple. But (for most people) climbing a mast is uncomfortable, difficult, scary, and dangerous. While dropping a C22 mast is a cake walk. Most of us C22 sailors do it every single time we go sailing!

Most of us under the age of 60 (myself included) have never seen a wire halyard. They're as outdated as a Grandpaw's coonskin rubber. Reports of rope halyards jamming are not unheard of though. It happens.
 
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Mar 26, 2011
3,401
Corsair F-24 MK I Deale, MD
everybody agrees - don't climb. Figure it would topple over? Anyone else had a wire halyard jam?
Yes, on a similar boat. Not that unusual. The top sheave is probably worn and will need replaced. This seems to happen most often on smaller boats, because the wire is small.
 
Nov 8, 2010
11,386
Beneteau First 36.7 & 260 Minneapolis MN & Bayfield WI
I very seriously doubt it would topple. But (for most people) climbing a mast is uncomfortable, difficult, scary, and dangerous. While dropping a C22 mast is a cake walk. Most of us C22 sailors do it every single time we go sailing!

Most of us under the age of 60 (myself included) have never seen a wire halyard. They're as outdated as a Grandpaw's coonskin rubber. Reports of rope halyards jamming are not unheard of though. It happens.
Depends on how long you've been sailing, and how old your boat(s) are! ;^)

But you are right, wire started to fall out of favor in the 80s, first in cruisers, and eventually in racers. The advantage of course over contemporary line was the lack of stretch. Now modern dual braid is better, and spectra-cored line has the same properties as wire.
 
May 24, 2004
7,129
CC 30 South Florida
On a Cat22 just drop the mast, snuggle up to a bridge or careen the boat ashore but do not climb the mast.
 
May 24, 2004
7,129
CC 30 South Florida
Do not climb the mast, either drop the mast, snuggle up to a bridge, or run the boat aground and careen it. It depends on your weight and the location and weight of the ballast, but the length of the mast will leverage your weight and any wake from a passing boat can create momentum for a turning force at the top of the mast to exceed the righting force at the center of gravity of the ballast. The point of no return can be reached at a rather shallow angle of lean. In a 22' boat the balancing forces could be too close for comfort.
 
May 24, 2018
31
Catalina 22 Norcal
Most of us under the age of 60 (myself included) have never seen a wire halyard. They're as outdated as a Grandpaw's coonskin rubber. Reports of rope halyards jamming are not unheard of though. It happens.
Really? My Millennial ass is still running wire on my '73. And I helped a buddy test rig his SolCat 18 this weekend and his halyards are wire too (and the main jammed on us). Maybe it's just inland California where nothing rusts, but rope turns to dust in the sun...

Rope halyards can indeed jam, especially if you're running stripped dyneema. Happened to us last year at Nationals on the way to the line (and was probably caused by me skying the halyard the previous day- FNG:(). Our badass tactician went up, fixed it and we made the start.

Moral of the story: if you sky or wrap a halyard and manage to get it back without dropping the mast tie a line to the end and run it up and down a couple of times before you call it good.
 

ambler

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Dec 7, 2013
60
catalina 22 11619 Watauga Lake, TN
Thanks for all your replies. I'm learning a lot.

Benny - I agree, the keel's 500 lbs is no more than 5ft below the boat, the mast is 25ft long. That's a 5:1 lever. My 150 lbs becomes 750 (at least). It seems possible it could capsize. Has anyone tried it?
si
Thinwater - I'll replace the sheaves. I see catalina direct has replacements.

Voiding - What does "sky" and "wrap" the halyard mean?

AaronD - didn't get your post until I finally saw my typo. An 1883 boat would be very different (no fiberglass, no stainless steel, no plastic sheaves and no online forum to sort it all out)

Dropping the mast is hard for me to do alone (I often sail singlehanded). I've seen Stingy Sailor's UTube video. He starts the mast up with one arm. I don't have the strength to do that. I guess I should do pushups.

Again, Thanks for the replies. I began sailing when I retired 6 years ago. The wisdom and experience in this forum has been so helpful.
 
Oct 2, 2008
3,807
Pearson/ 530 Strafford, NH
Take some pictures when you pull it over on the beach. Tom Y had an A-frame to lift his mast at a dock if the need arises. I’m retired too. Tired yesterday and tired again today.
 

ambler

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Dec 7, 2013
60
catalina 22 11619 Watauga Lake, TN
I think I need to build an A frame. It'll help with the side to side wobble too.