Jib Halyard/Sheet Replacement

D Swanson · Mar 21, 2020

Had the same situation when I started out. I replaced with all rope, but first be sure to check that the sheaves look good and can handle rope and/or wire (there will be a smaller "wire" groove at the bottom of the larger diameter for rope). Most wire to rope systems utilized these type of sheaves. Also worth inspecting to insure the sheaves are in good condition, sometimes a sharp edge or burr can damage a rope quickly. Welcome aboard.

dlochner · Mar 21, 2020

Go with a low stretch line. The wire rope halyards were common before the advent of low stretch lines. As @D Swanson said, inspect the sheaves for rough edges and things that might abrade the line and make sure they turn easily.

The SBO store can help you with the halyard and sheaves. Stay away from Sea-Set X. It was one of the first low stretch polyester lines and was popular for halyards, however it tends to hockle and does not always run freely, jamming in blocks and sheaves.

PaulK · Mar 21, 2020

All rope with the new synthetic lines ends up stretching less than the wire did. You can also end-for-end it and double the life of the halyard that way. If you race it is also lighter than wire. The splice adds a LOT to the cost of a wire/rope halyard and tilts the equation further in favor of the all-rope. We switched ours out about 15 years ago without worrying about the sheaves and have had no issues. We went with a heftier sized line (3/8”) for our spinnaker halyards than the strength required because we wanted to be able to handle them without hurting our hands. A 1/8” strand of some of the new lines could probably hoist your entire boat, but would not be fun to haul on.

dlochner · Mar 21, 2020

EnamrdSalr21 said:
Paul I was thinking it would probably be more economical for the all rope but I haven't heard of end-for-end. Does that mean it has no tail? I'm going to go look at my sheaves now. I was also thinking about purchasing rope at west marine as they're having a 40% off sale. Does the SBO store have good prices as well. I haven't looked there yet.

Halyards have areas of high wear, typically on the sheave when the sail is raised and at the cleat where the halyard is secured when hoisted. End for end means when the wear becomes excessive, turn the halyard around, so the the worn end is at the tail and the tail is now attaches to the sail.

The price difference if any between SBO and WM will be minimal. Your purchase at the SBO store helps to support this forum and you'll likely get better advice from the SBO store than most WM stores.

EnamrdSalr21 said:
Mainsail sheave looks like it has room for a rope, however, the headsail looks like it would need to be replaced to accomodate the rope

How does the halyard attach to the sail? There should be a grommet or fabric loop at the head of the sail to attach the sail. Do you have a photo?

JohnShannon · Mar 21, 2020

EnamrdSalr21 said:
Great idea!

View attachment 176238 View attachment 176239

Here's a picture of the twisted wire and the part that attaches to the headsail.

Basically the same as turning your underwear inside out to get a few more weeks out of it.

dlochner · Mar 21, 2020

JohnShannon said:
Basically the same as turning your underwear inside out to get a few more weeks out of it.

That would be inside out, forwards, and backwards, good for at least 4 days.

EnamrdSalr21 said:
Oh, @dlochner not sure if I misunderstood your question. Did you mean you wanted to see the sail itself? I just attach that part to a grommet on the sail to hoist it.

That looks like a headsail swivel for a roller furler. Your sail should be fine. Don't buy a line that is fatter than the opening on the swivel. The halyard can be tied to the swivel or an eye splice can be used.

dlochner · Mar 21, 2020

EnamrdSalr21 said:
With the sheave that I sent a picture of for the headsail- wouldn't it be to narrow to fit a 3/8" line?

5/16" should be fine and will fit the swivel. Your sail is pretty small, 5/16" Sta-Set (not Sta-Set X) will be strong enough.

Dave Groshong · Mar 21, 2020

We offer both, but you really should change the masthead sheave, it is likely old school wire only, let me know if you can get the 3 dimensions, diameter, width and hole diameter. There's nothing wrong with replacing it with wire/rope.

US Rigging Supply Wire-to-Rope Halyard Kits

shop.sailboatowners.com

Running Rigging Calculator

shop.sailboatowners.com

FastOlson · Mar 21, 2020

The sail area is not all that much on a Cal 21. (We raced and cruised a Ranger 20 for years...) With modern low stretch lines (yes, avoid Sta-setX) you should be fine with quarter inch. Heck, 3/16 would do fine, but it is a little harder on the hands.
While some sailors still use wire-to-rope lines, this technology was superseded in the 80's. Wire was hard on spars and sheaves, too.
Kind of like enjoying the look of traditional flax sails and the golden glow of the light from kerosine lanterns...

Example: by comparison, 3/8" is too large a diameter for the sheaves on my O-34 ! I have used 5/16" T-900 line for over 20 years. It will never wear out....
Figure our how much length you need, add 5 feet just-in-case, and order it up from whoever has a reasonable price.

One quick example found on line is $1.71/foot for the quarter inch. I bet that this site's store could offer you a good deal............

FastOlson · Mar 21, 2020

You can tie the halyard shackle on with (real name of knot) a 'Halyard Hitch'. No need to put in a splice unless you want to do it for fun. Note that if you use a knot, it's easy to end-for-end the line when you take it down for a quick wash every year or two.
Gotta say, at $.41 per foot, are they quoting stretchy cheap "yacht braid" ? That seems unrealistically inexpensive to me.
Try not to buy the cheapest line... you might get exactly what you pay for.

Of course, if you are skint, then you do the best you can, and just plan on regularly re-tensioning halyards when/if the wind rises.

Jib Halyard/Sheet Replacement

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