Hello, I am replacing my main halyard on my 1987 Hunter 23. I have a 3/8 line and shackle. All I need is the splice. Is there any special kind I should ask for? What do people suggest to work with the sheave at the masthead, etc..? I have a Z-Spar stick. TIA Richard H23 "Invictus"
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Rick Webb
Bowline
Won't a bowline in the end work? It is not as elegant as an eyesplice but it would certainly work.
Won't a bowline in the end work? It is not as elegant as an eyesplice but it would certainly work.
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Ross Terry
are you talking about splicing the new
to the old to pull it through, or the eye splice at the end of the halyard?
to the old to pull it through, or the eye splice at the end of the halyard?
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Steve Ullrich
Buntline Hitch
Hello Richard, To pull the new halyard through behind the old one: Punch a couple of holes in each line with a hot piece of coat hanger and stich them together with dental floss. The new halyard will pull through nicely. To attach your shackle to the new halyard use a buntline hitch. It is a constrictor type knot. It jams and will not come untied. It is also pretty compact. It is shown a little loose in the photo but it is a slip knot. Just pull it tight against the shackle and work it tight.
Hello Richard, To pull the new halyard through behind the old one: Punch a couple of holes in each line with a hot piece of coat hanger and stich them together with dental floss. The new halyard will pull through nicely. To attach your shackle to the new halyard use a buntline hitch. It is a constrictor type knot. It jams and will not come untied. It is also pretty compact. It is shown a little loose in the photo but it is a slip knot. Just pull it tight against the shackle and work it tight.
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Richard
perma-splice
I want to permanently attach the shackle...unless there is a compelling reason not to(?). As for a bowline, I was always taught it was for creating a temporary loop.
I want to permanently attach the shackle...unless there is a compelling reason not to(?). As for a bowline, I was always taught it was for creating a temporary loop.
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Stu Sauer
Halyard Splice vs Bowline
All knots are weaker than the line , most like bowlines are only 55% of the strength of the line. Buy a fid for the size of line you need to splice and the instructuions will come with it. On the first try, you may get frustrated, cut it off and try again, so practice on a 5' piece of throw away line. If you are new to this and intend to splice line that has been in service for more than one season you will have a hard time. New line is a lot easier and the splice ends up smooth and at 90% strength of the line. As part of the splicing proceedure you will use a marking pen to mark various points on the line. Two different colors may make this easier. At a worst case, if you don't want to learn to splice, buy the new halyard line from West Marine and have them splice on your old fiting. Once you have done a couple you will be able to do eye splices in your braided dock lines as well as braided fender lines (rainy day low priority projects, but the results look great.)
All knots are weaker than the line , most like bowlines are only 55% of the strength of the line. Buy a fid for the size of line you need to splice and the instructuions will come with it. On the first try, you may get frustrated, cut it off and try again, so practice on a 5' piece of throw away line. If you are new to this and intend to splice line that has been in service for more than one season you will have a hard time. New line is a lot easier and the splice ends up smooth and at 90% strength of the line. As part of the splicing proceedure you will use a marking pen to mark various points on the line. Two different colors may make this easier. At a worst case, if you don't want to learn to splice, buy the new halyard line from West Marine and have them splice on your old fiting. Once you have done a couple you will be able to do eye splices in your braided dock lines as well as braided fender lines (rainy day low priority projects, but the results look great.)
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seth
Most recommend eye splice
Rich; Most rope manuafactuers recommend eye splice for their rope as the most secure. Look yours up on-line and see what they say...Seth
Rich; Most rope manuafactuers recommend eye splice for their rope as the most secure. Look yours up on-line and see what they say...Seth
Why I like the buntline hitch...again
If you have the time and the interest you should definitely learn how to tie an eye splice. That way you won't have to unreeve the halyards every time you cut some off the shackle end. I think every sailor should know how and I'd certainly love to...but I just don't have the time to learn. I cut a couple of feet off the shackle end of the halyard every other year to minimize chafe and flat-spotting where the halyard goes over the masthead sheaves. The buntline hitch allows me to do this and refasten the shackle in less than five minutes. This knot is secure (you have to cut it off) and takes up less room at the masthead than an eye splice. As far as the reduction in line strength is concerned, the line is more than strong enough for its intended purpose even with a 55% reduction in strength. I think chafe and flat-spotting will probably reduce line strength more than a well-tied knot. How about this...fasten the shackle with the buntline hitch and go sailing. Then you can work on learning to splice while you're kicked back in the cockpit under way. Peter H23 "Raven"
If you have the time and the interest you should definitely learn how to tie an eye splice. That way you won't have to unreeve the halyards every time you cut some off the shackle end. I think every sailor should know how and I'd certainly love to...but I just don't have the time to learn. I cut a couple of feet off the shackle end of the halyard every other year to minimize chafe and flat-spotting where the halyard goes over the masthead sheaves. The buntline hitch allows me to do this and refasten the shackle in less than five minutes. This knot is secure (you have to cut it off) and takes up less room at the masthead than an eye splice. As far as the reduction in line strength is concerned, the line is more than strong enough for its intended purpose even with a 55% reduction in strength. I think chafe and flat-spotting will probably reduce line strength more than a well-tied knot. How about this...fasten the shackle with the buntline hitch and go sailing. Then you can work on learning to splice while you're kicked back in the cockpit under way. Peter H23 "Raven"
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Rick Webb
I'll Go With Peter on this One
Looking at the knot it does not look like it will weaken the line anymore than the eye splice will.
Looking at the knot it does not look like it will weaken the line anymore than the eye splice will.
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Tom M.
I agree with the buntline hitch!
I could not get the main all the way up originally. The eye splice was to stiff/fat to go over the mast head sheave. The buntline hitch solved the problem and I have never had any trouble with it since. I do like Peter's idea of whacking off a foot or two every so often, I might have to try that too. -Tom
I could not get the main all the way up originally. The eye splice was to stiff/fat to go over the mast head sheave. The buntline hitch solved the problem and I have never had any trouble with it since. I do like Peter's idea of whacking off a foot or two every so often, I might have to try that too. -Tom
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