lost halyard

[chris]

so i'm minding my own business, single handing, when a t-storm hits and i've gotta drop sail a.s.a.p. i'm at the mast securing the main, and just as i release the main halyard from the head of the sail, a genius in a noisy boat rips by me leaving a huge wake and me grabbing for dear life. of course, i lose the halyard and next thing i know it's at the top of the mast. please tell me there's some way to retrieve it short of lowering the mast! i'm on my way to the home depot for a 25' extension pole if one exists, which i hope to attach a hook to, but there must be a better way...

 

[Greg Stebbins]

That's the wrong one to loose, Chris!

Bringing the mast down is probably the easiest way but.. If ther's a mast tower in your neighborhood see if you can borrow it for a few min's for a few bucks.....

 

[Hal Pyke]

halyard retrieval

I've had the same thing happen. I was lucky, my marina owner has a long pole which he made from a 2x2 piece of pressure treated wood with a hook on the end. It took several tries but i managed to hook it and pull it back down. You may want to try half of an extension ladder to give you extra reach.

 

[Steven Bott]

What about a Bosen's chair

I haven't tried this myself but couldn't you use a bosen's chair to get nearly all the way up on the Jib Halyard then use a landing pole to grab the end of the main halyard?Steve BottSerendipityH260

 

[Mike Epp]

hoist a kid

Send an agile kid up the mast. My son pretty much climbed himself in a rappelling harness and I just had to take off the slack. The next time don't unhook the halyard after dropping the main!

 

[Guest]

swimming pool pole

I used a pole from a swimming pool to get mine back on my 22. use duck tape and make a hook that you can twist around on the halyard.