Main Halyard led aft

[OldCat]

I think that the mast plate on my boat may just be inadequate. Strange since everything else about this boat is doubly strong. I don't know if the mast plate is something original or not. I need to take the mast down at some point so maybe I could replace it with something better.

I would consider starting with a "mast step halyard plate" like these: http://www.catalinadirect.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=product.search

If one of these will work for your boat - then you would be starting with a proper mount for your "lines aft" blocks. I have the C22 version on mine, works great, they have plates to fit up to a C30.

OC

 

[Joe]

There's nothing wrong with the mast plate... remove the shackle and bend it back straight with a large pair of vice grips (adjustable, clamping pliers)... It is the force from the unnatural angle made by the halyard block that is the problem. Reroute the halyard 90 degrees to another turning block 90 degrees back to the winch and your problem is solved.

Oh, BTW, there's nothing wrong with the halyard either... as long as it will run through the blocks and rope clutch, and is in decent condition, you don't need to replace it. The larger diameter rope is easier on the hand.

 

[OldCat]

There's nothing wrong with the mast plate... remove the shackle and bend it back straight with a large pair of vice grips (adjustable, clamping pliers)... It is the force from the unnatural angle made by the halyard block that is the problem. Reroute the halyard 90 degrees to another turning block 90 degrees back to the winch and your problem is solved.

Oh, BTW, there's nothing wrong with the halyard either... as long as it will run through the blocks and rope clutch, and is in decent condition, you don't need to replace it. The larger diameter rope is easier on the hand.

You may well be right - hard to see the mast plate's thickness in a photo. The fact that it bent still worries me - mine is so HD that I doubt it would bend even if I loaded it wrong - not gonna try though. The coach roof step also seems to create challenges. The bullet fairlead may not be enough - the line may still rub on the sides of the organizer or cheek block. A stand up block might help. My boat presented similar issues. I solved it by shimming the turning blocks so that the lead would be fair, using individual cheek blocks to match the lead of each line.

To the OP - try to get hold of some blocks and mount them to the deck with tape or something similar (modeling clay?) - no load obviously - just enough fixturing that you can move the stuff the around to figure out what will give fair leads to the blocks and a proper pull direction at the mast base.

OC

 

[ehh]

There's nothing wrong with the mast plate... remove the shackle and bend it back straight with a large pair of vice grips (adjustable, clamping pliers)... It is the force from the unnatural angle made by the halyard block that is the problem. Reroute the halyard 90 degrees to another turning block 90 degrees back to the winch and your problem is solved.

Oh, BTW, there's nothing wrong with the halyard either... as long as it will run through the blocks and rope clutch, and is in decent condition, you don't need to replace it. The larger diameter rope is easier on the hand.

The large halyard does not run smoothly, I can tell that much. The sheaves on this mast are too small for anything over 3/8ths. Also the winches on the mast, if I use them, are much to small for anything but 3/8.

 

[Joe]

The large halyard does not run smoothly, I can tell that much. The sheaves on this mast are too small for anything over 3/8ths. Also the winches on the mast, if I use them, are much to small for anything but 3/8.

That's a good reason to change them, then.

 

[ehh]

I was reading on another network about adding a block to the main halyard, on the sail side, for a 2 to 1 lift. If I can find something to attach the end of the halyard to at the top of the mast I may try that. On hobies, if you aren't familiar with them, most use a 3 to 1 block and tackle on the jib halyard. The jib has a wire luff and when tight it supports the mast. It makes a huge difference.

 

[tailwind]

I guess I would mount block on the mast with a padeye at the same level as the cabin house in a location that doesn't interfere with the boom, vang or cause the halyard to rub against the mast. Then run the line to your deck organizer on the port side of the cabin house. It is kind of nasty having the halyard running through the open air though, from the mast to the cabin house. A series of blocks to make that up and down trip would create a lot of extra friction. As you can see most of the successful examples have the mast stepped on or going through the cabin house.