Just purchased hull #54 and have some halyard questions

[Ensign Claptrap]

Hello all,
My wife and I just purchased hull #54 (previously known as Susan Kay, Viking, and a couple other short lived names). She's been sitting unloved for a few years, but glad we found her and we'll give her the attention she deserves. We've already given her new bottom paint, cutless bearing, running rigging, a fuel polishing, and a good long shakedown.

On our 75 mile maiden voyage, the jib tore across at seams (so new sails are up next). Upon trying to get it down, we've noted the sheaves are all seized. So haven't been able to get up the mast yet. We also noticed that the halyard setup is possibly incomplete. Here's where the questions come in.

She has a mainsail halyard, a boom topping lift, and a jib halyard. All run in mast. Looks like there is one more mousing line (~3/16" line, ran in a loop) on the forward sheave, outside the mast, and probably was used an ensign (slip hooks on both ends). So four lines up the mast.

I would expect a spinnaker halyard is supposed to be where the mousing line is?

If so, where is the pole topping lift? Is the boom supposed to have a topping lift, or is this one of my missing lines?

Also, there is a mousing line for the staysail halyard as well. Anyone know what diameter this halyard should be? Can't find a spec on that.

And there seems to be an inadequate number of cleats on the mast for all these lines (3 total, I believe). Am I missing something?

Lastly, anyone have any information on the sheaves? Removal/installation tips? Measurements? Any suitable replacements available or do they need to be fabricated?

I've scoured what I can from the old Fantasia35.com archives, but info is scant. Since going up the mast is proving to be difficult, I'm trying to best prepare with what info I can get, because it's looking more and more like we'll need to get a rigger involved...

Thank you!

~Joe

 

[Hollyberry]

Congrats!.. A resident of our island also just bought one of these (brought it down from Great Slave Lake!) and curiously two days later another pulled into one of our marinas. Can't be that many of these around so that was a rare day.

If your halyards sheaves are seized dropping the mast for a proper inspection and repair seems indicated. Any nearby rigger or experienced sailor can give you an 'eyes-on' assessment, try that as well as asking here

Same goes for rigging/line sizes and setups.

Good luck..

 

[shemandr]

If the boat doesn't have a topping lift for a spinnaker pole then it didn't fly a symmetrical spinnaker. Is there a spinnaker in the sail inventory or a spinnaker pole somewhere (I think that's a whisker pole on the starboard cap shroud)? It is a cutter rig so it may never been intended for symmetrical spinnaker use, especially if there isn't an exit block on the forward part of the mast mid way up (Or at least a place to attach a block). I also don't see any evidence of a pole down attachment on deck which could be as simple as an eye.
Symmetrical spinnakers have been largely usurped by asymmetrical spinnakers.
The sheaves should be available. There is a company which advertises in some of the sailing press specifically for sheaves. I don't remember the name. I think you'll have to take the mast down to replace them anyway so you'll have them in hand so you can order new and attend to other masthead issues (windex/anerometer, VHF antenna, lights etc.). One advisory: If the old sheaves have a vee shaped groove in them that may have originally for wire to rope halyards. If you are going to use all rope halyards then you should get sheaves for the size rope you will be using.
Please don't go up the mast on those unknown halyards.
It looks like your staysail halyard and top swivel are near the bottom of the extrusion. What's going on there?

 

[dlochner]

Not all boats carry spinnakers. The spin halyard is typically run through a block that hangs on a crane outside of the masthead. This allows the chute to pivot and rotate a bit while jibing. In the photos you provided no track is visible on the mast for the spin pole car. The boat probably never had a symmetrical spinnaker. This is also a boat on which you may not want to fly a symmetrical spinnaker. Boats with skinny butts can get quite squirelly running down wind with a spinnaker.

A common masthead sheave arrangement is an aluminum sheave that rides on a stainless steel bolt. Sometimes there is an aluminum bushing between the sheave and the bolt. These are prone to corrosion which cause the sheave to seize and they can wear a flat spot in the SS bolt which prevents the sheave from turning freely. The best fix is to replace the bolt with new and replace the sheave with a ball bearing sheave. Garhauer Marine make good ones that are affordable. This may not be repairable with the mast up.

Since this is an older boat that has been neglected dropping the mast may be a good idea. This will allow you to easily replace standing and running rigging, inspect all the fittings, replace the wiring, and inspect and fix the sheaves. While dropping the mast can be expensive, working on a mast that is horizontal is much easier, faster, and safer.

 

[jssailem]

Congrats Joe... She has sweet lines. That canoe stern is begging to be sailed on an open ocean.

She's been sitting unloved for a few years,

We've already given her new bottom paint, cutless bearing, running rigging, a fuel polishing, and a good long shakedown.

Before I went very far, I would have the mast down, and the standing rigging replaced. This is a safety issue on a mature boat.
Looking at the mast I tried to identify the rigging.

Only one side image.. Some SWAG applied.
I would sail her with an asymmetrical. She is was designed to be a cruiser not a racer. The asymmetrical will be your goto sail in light winds. You can design a preventer to use the pole and optimize the sail configuration on a down wind sail. The Asymmetrical favors more a reach to deep broad reach point of sail. I suspect your boat will also enjoy that point of sail. You can use the pole to also extend the genoa for such points of sail. The pole will help keep the sail in place with a following sea state.

 

[jssailem]

Regarding the cleats, since the current design of the mast rigging encourages handling the halyards there, it is not a problem to add additional cleats for handling the running rigging. With the mast down you can easily add a crane to the mast head and install the rigging for an asymmetrical sail.

 

[Ensign Claptrap]

Sorry for the very delayed reply. Been dealing with life as necessary, and boat stuff when I can. Learned a lot more about her over the last month and a half, though. Thank you all so much for your responses! It was very helpful in figuring out what I'm dealing with.

I think I understand most of the rigging now. It looks like my mast lines are: main halyard, boom topping lift, jib halyard, and whisker pole topping lift.

She has a spinnaker sail down below (haven't opened it up yet to see if it's symmetrical or not), which I'm not sure was ever flown. This was why I was looking for a spinnaker halyard.

Looks like there are holes at the masthead that might be able to install a pin with a sheave or block for a spinnaker halyard? (pic attached)

The whisker pole topping lift still seems a little strange (also pic attached). It's the "mousing line ran in a loop" I mentioned in the initial post. It is a 1/4" line, but has snap hooks at both ends, and is run in-mast, but it looks like that wasn't "professionally" done, as there is no exit plate. Not sure why snap hooks are at both ends though. If I can't figure out what this is all about, I'm thinking about drilling this out a little more for a 7/16" line and installing an exit plate (I'll key hole it slightly so I don't have to remove the line), then could use as a backup halyard too.

Thank you very much again!

Joe