Well sooner or later the law of averages prevails and something regretable takes place. In my case we was sailing on a fantastic winter day this past sunday on Lake Lanier, Georgia, and suddenly on a close reach, the main sail comes falling down. It seems one of my crew failed in some way to properly lock the sail headboard shackle to the sail and here it sits nicely nested up against the mast head!! I do not have a bosun's chair and although we finished the day with just flying the 150, we ponded what method or methods we can employ to get this down without beiong hoisted up. Needless to say, Spiderman and Flubber were out of the question, as well as shooting arrows or tapeing five extendable boat hooks together. Lessons learned! As it is we called our local repair guy who still climbs masts (almost a dying art)and will save the day by this weekend. If anyone ever had the same happen, it would be nice to hear from you. Crew was not keel-hauled by the way!! Bob
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Used a Sister ship
Had it happen on a mast head rig and just used the other halyard. On a friends vessel with a fractional rig we rafted two boats together. The second vessel had a taller mast than his. Crew went up the tall mast as others stood on the toe rail to make both boats lean together and grap the line. Then we had BEER
Had it happen on a mast head rig and just used the other halyard. On a friends vessel with a fractional rig we rafted two boats together. The second vessel had a taller mast than his. Crew went up the tall mast as others stood on the toe rail to make both boats lean together and grap the line. Then we had BEER
Retrieving halyard
I was responsible for rigging the sails on a friends O'day 25 and lost my grip while fumbling with the main halyard. To the top it went. Granted it was warm weather but I climbed the mast with bare feet, shorts and no shirt. Was informed by my skipper not to put any weight on the spreaders once I ascended past them. I reached the top, secured the halyard and came back down. Lesson learned. I pay close attention when attaching anything on board. Have to say the insides of my upper thighs were very sore the next day from gripping the mast with them.
I was responsible for rigging the sails on a friends O'day 25 and lost my grip while fumbling with the main halyard. To the top it went. Granted it was warm weather but I climbed the mast with bare feet, shorts and no shirt. Was informed by my skipper not to put any weight on the spreaders once I ascended past them. I reached the top, secured the halyard and came back down. Lesson learned. I pay close attention when attaching anything on board. Have to say the insides of my upper thighs were very sore the next day from gripping the mast with them.
Ross,
Man, like many of us, I have a couple of halyard retrieval stories. But the part of Daryls' method that I was voting for was on the last line of his post.
Man, like many of us, I have a couple of halyard retrieval stories. But the part of Daryls' method that I was voting for was on the last line of his post.
Plastic pipe is the answer
Gray plastic electrical conduit that you can get in any home store is perfect for this kind of job. As many sections as you need can be temporarily attached together with the proper connectors. Attaching any kind of hook to it even with electrical tape is strong enough to pull a halyard back down. The conduit can be disassembled for easy transport and used for its original purpose if necessary. CVP
Gray plastic electrical conduit that you can get in any home store is perfect for this kind of job. As many sections as you need can be temporarily attached together with the proper connectors. Attaching any kind of hook to it even with electrical tape is strong enough to pull a halyard back down. The conduit can be disassembled for easy transport and used for its original purpose if necessary. CVP
For future reference
Try connecting a small (3/16") downhaul line to the shackle so if you lose it up the mast, all you need to do is pull down the downhaul to retrieve it. I've got downhauls led aft to the cockpit on both my main & jib. They also allow you to hold the jib down on the deck after dropping it without going forward, or hold the main down in the lazyjacks without using sailties.
Try connecting a small (3/16") downhaul line to the shackle so if you lose it up the mast, all you need to do is pull down the downhaul to retrieve it. I've got downhauls led aft to the cockpit on both my main & jib. They also allow you to hold the jib down on the deck after dropping it without going forward, or hold the main down in the lazyjacks without using sailties.
Sail magazine solution
I read in Sail magazine a few months ago about a method to retrieve lost halyard. You use another halyard to hoist a stiff line with a loop in it and use it to try to snare the shackle of the lost halyard. Then, since it is stiff, pulling down will tighten up the loop and grab the shackle of the lost haylard. Never tried it but it should work. Steph
I read in Sail magazine a few months ago about a method to retrieve lost halyard. You use another halyard to hoist a stiff line with a loop in it and use it to try to snare the shackle of the lost halyard. Then, since it is stiff, pulling down will tighten up the loop and grab the shackle of the lost haylard. Never tried it but it should work. Steph
great responses, but......
....I like "splicing the main brace best"!! For the cost of the poles and hooks, gripper shoes, ladders and extra lines, our guy is doing it at a pretty reasonable price. He will be changing out the steaming light bulb along the way, so it worked out for the better. Its what is learned and what not to do again! With internal halyards if we lost the shackle and the line, it probably would have meant taking the mast down to avoid getting new line tangled up in interanl wiring. We did get some very sound advice on halyards: when changing halyards get an extra 10 feet of length and never splice, only use a bowline for the shackle. The part of the halyard that gets the most stress is the upper portion near the mast head. Every year, cut away two-three feet and re-tie the bowline to the shackle. Makes good sense. Appreciate the responses. Its always good to share the experience. Bob
....I like "splicing the main brace best"!! For the cost of the poles and hooks, gripper shoes, ladders and extra lines, our guy is doing it at a pretty reasonable price. He will be changing out the steaming light bulb along the way, so it worked out for the better. Its what is learned and what not to do again! With internal halyards if we lost the shackle and the line, it probably would have meant taking the mast down to avoid getting new line tangled up in interanl wiring. We did get some very sound advice on halyards: when changing halyards get an extra 10 feet of length and never splice, only use a bowline for the shackle. The part of the halyard that gets the most stress is the upper portion near the mast head. Every year, cut away two-three feet and re-tie the bowline to the shackle. Makes good sense. Appreciate the responses. Its always good to share the experience. Bob
I Just!
I just use my topping lift to pull through a thicker halyard and go up on that. My mast is 55' so long poles are not an option, neither is a 'sister ship' because the loads are too great. Of course if you removed your topping lift in favour of a rod kicker then you have a problem. Should you ever have the same crewman aboard again, and whilst you have your tame gorilla up the mast, see if he can fit a messenger line in place of the topping lift
I just use my topping lift to pull through a thicker halyard and go up on that. My mast is 55' so long poles are not an option, neither is a 'sister ship' because the loads are too great. Of course if you removed your topping lift in favour of a rod kicker then you have a problem. Should you ever have the same crewman aboard again, and whilst you have your tame gorilla up the mast, see if he can fit a messenger line in place of the topping lift
Prussik
Any mast can be climbed with two prussiks and atrieas, but I always use a locking carabiner on halyards, snap-shackles are as trustworthy as a used car salesman.
Any mast can be climbed with two prussiks and atrieas, but I always use a locking carabiner on halyards, snap-shackles are as trustworthy as a used car salesman.
If it's not too high...
...I used some PVC piping (1" for some stiffness) to retrieve a loose halyard. I bought several 8' lengths and coupling joints, but didn't glue them together (just fitted then together). Then a taped a wire hook onto the top piece and fished out the halyard shackle. The longer the pipe, the more flex it has, though. PVC used to be inexpensive. Not now.
...I used some PVC piping (1" for some stiffness) to retrieve a loose halyard. I bought several 8' lengths and coupling joints, but didn't glue them together (just fitted then together). Then a taped a wire hook onto the top piece and fished out the halyard shackle. The longer the pipe, the more flex it has, though. PVC used to be inexpensive. Not now.
Reaching the mast head
Well had alot of good solutions but I didn't see the most obvious one, that is if your lucky enough to be in the right area. Remember the bridges. Works great for me!
Well had alot of good solutions but I didn't see the most obvious one, that is if your lucky enough to be in the right area. Remember the bridges. Works great for me!
Needing to retrieve...
... a lost halyard at the masthead is sort of in the same category as going aground: sooner or later it's gonna happen to all of us. I, too, read the "fix" suggested in "Sail" magazine and thought it was bizarre -- sort of like trying to toss a ring over a coke bottle at a carnival. IMHO, the "best" fix is just what you did: get a pro to go up the stick, by whatever means he chooses, and get it for you. That is what money is for.
... a lost halyard at the masthead is sort of in the same category as going aground: sooner or later it's gonna happen to all of us. I, too, read the "fix" suggested in "Sail" magazine and thought it was bizarre -- sort of like trying to toss a ring over a coke bottle at a carnival. IMHO, the "best" fix is just what you did: get a pro to go up the stick, by whatever means he chooses, and get it for you. That is what money is for.
And now for something completely different.
Back in '93, a friend lost my main halyard up the mast of our O'Day 26. I borrowed a three-section ladder 36' long, put it over the side at the finger pier, hauled it erect onto DAME KIND and propped ladder against forward part of mast. I secured it as I climbed and siezed the day (shackle). Grungiest part of exercise was the oil/mud mix that covered twelve feet of ladder embedded in muck. Our marina hd been part of navy facility during WWII, when spent oil was just poured over the side!
Back in '93, a friend lost my main halyard up the mast of our O'Day 26. I borrowed a three-section ladder 36' long, put it over the side at the finger pier, hauled it erect onto DAME KIND and propped ladder against forward part of mast. I secured it as I climbed and siezed the day (shackle). Grungiest part of exercise was the oil/mud mix that covered twelve feet of ladder embedded in muck. Our marina hd been part of navy facility during WWII, when spent oil was just poured over the side!
2 Halyards?
It would be nice to have a mast with a spare halyard. At least that way you wouldn't waste a good sailing day,worrying about how to retrieve the one that went up the mast. Believe me it happens to all of us. The best bet is to have a bosun,s chair, a light weight crew that isn't afraid of heights, and a good winch. I weigh in at about 220 so that's my excuse for not going up the mast. The sail magazine article still looks to me like it would be worth a try if the halyard shackle is dangling. It wouldn't work if the shackle was stuck in the masthead sheave.
It would be nice to have a mast with a spare halyard. At least that way you wouldn't waste a good sailing day,worrying about how to retrieve the one that went up the mast. Believe me it happens to all of us. The best bet is to have a bosun,s chair, a light weight crew that isn't afraid of heights, and a good winch. I weigh in at about 220 so that's my excuse for not going up the mast. The sail magazine article still looks to me like it would be worth a try if the halyard shackle is dangling. It wouldn't work if the shackle was stuck in the masthead sheave.
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