Lost Halyard

[Tom]

While replacing a halyard I screwed up and lost it down the mast. Any tricks on rethreading a new one? I have a climbing harness so can go up the mast.Thanks.

 

[Roger Noble]

I haven't used this, but it might work...

Here's one answer, taken from the Catalina mailing list at Sailnet. Al credit (or blame)should go to the author, one Forrest Lott."A nice carpentry magazine called Fine Homebuilding had this tip forretrieving a wire from a stud space. It sounds like it would work inyour case, but you decide. They attached a string of appropriate lengthinto the chuck of an electric drill and tied the other end to a nut. The nut on a string is lowered (in this case perhaps by another nut on astring) to a point where the wire should be. The rotation of the chuckspins the string/nut and it wraps itself around the lost wire. IF itworks youve got no holes drilled and not extra cost.As always, Mr. phelps, if this or any other of the IMF ideas fail towork we will disavow any knowledge, etc., etc.Forrest Lott

 

[richard]

drop a weighted line down the mast

Then have someone fish around with a bent wire to snag it down at the opening. They can then tape or sew the new halyard on. It is not that hard actually.

 

[Tom]

Thanks

Thanks, with the help of a friend we installed a new halyard over the weekend. Tricky bit is getting the new halyard through those damn rollers in the bottom of the mast! We found a bent coathanger very useful for pulling the new halyard out.Thanks for your help.