main halyard

pateco · Jun 2, 2016

Remove or relocate the Dodger hardware, or relocate the winch.

Jackdaw · Jun 2, 2016

That's not a boat problem, that's a dodger problem. The PO who added it didn't think or obviously care about that. So:

Live with it.
Remove or replace the dodger.
Get an ELECTRIC winch upgrade.

I can tell you that having an electric halyard winch is the cat's ass.

DougM · Jun 2, 2016

It should be easy to reroute the halyard if you don't mind climbing the mast. Run a fish tape up the mast from the exit point you plan to use. Pull the existing halyard tail to the masthead, routeit over the sheave you intend to use, attach it to the fish tape and pull through.
This assumes that you have a spare jib halyard or spinnaker halyard to attach a bosun's chair. If not, plan B would require dropping the mast.

Benny17441 · Jun 2, 2016

Would a shorter winch handle help?

Gunni · Jun 2, 2016

Take a look at the line blocks at the foot of the mast, and your deck organizer - you may be able to bring the halyard to your other winch. And yes winch handles come in many sizes, as long as you have two-speed winch you should be able to hoist a mainsail with a short winch handle.

Stu Jackson · Jun 2, 2016

Really odd to have a main halyard to port. Even on a Beneteau. Only the French seem to do that. They like vive la differance.

Raising the main: in many cases, we haul the halyard up 95% of the way from the mast, have a crew tail in the cockpit or use a cleat or cam cleat on the mast to hold it if you're singlehanding, and then only do the last 5% from the cockpit winch.

Capt jgw · Jun 2, 2016

My halyard winches are on the mast, no problem swinging as long a handle as you want. In my experience, leading the halyards aft ain't all it's cracked up to be.

pateco · Jun 2, 2016

Capt jgw said:
My halyard winches are on the mast, no problem swinging as long a handle as you want. In my experience, leading the halyards aft ain't all it's cracked up to be.

The halyards on my Hunter exit at the very base of the mast. Designed to be lead back through the deck organizers to the cabin top winches.

Stu Jackson · Jun 2, 2016

Capt jgw said:
In my experience, leading the halyards aft ain't all it's cracked up to be.

Everybody has a different take. I like it, 'cuz it allows me to do my double line reefing without leaving the cockpit.

YMMV

woodster · Jun 2, 2016

my s2 has the main halyard to port and the foresail to starboard...not sure which is correct but they work ....if you raise the boom before you hoist you can hand load the sail by pulling on the halyard then when at the top drop the boom and just winch it tight and lock it down no biggie if you have good (clean) sliding sail track slides....

Joe · Jun 3, 2016

Capt jgw said:
My halyard winches are on the mast, no problem swinging as long a handle as you want. In my experience, leading the halyards aft ain't all it's cracked up to be.

Totally agree with this opinion... especially the main halyard. However, if you have crew, and the halyard's mast exit block is high enough... have them stand at the mast and "jump" the halyard while you tail it in the cockpit. On a 31 footer with lubricated track and slugs you should be able to get the sail 85% hoisted before needing the winch. You can get a lot more force jumping the halyard at the mast than the cockpit because there is much less friction on the line and you can use all your muscles to pull down on the halyard.

Jackdaw · Jun 3, 2016

woodster said:
my s2 has the main halyard to port and the foresail to starboard...not sure which is correct but they work ....if you raise the boom before you hoist you can hand load the sail by pulling on the halyard then when at the top drop the boom and just winch it tight and lock it down no biggie if you have good (clean) sliding sail track slides....

No real 'correct' side when it come to main and jib halyards. Only for spin, with MUST be on Starboard.

Another comment;
Halyard exits at the VERY base of the mast were popular only for a few years, (early mid 80s?) when lines aft started to become popular. Builders thought that people would just crank it up with a winch. They seemed to forget that jumping it at the mast is still the fastest way up if you want fast. Now 99% of new masts have traditional jump-able exits with base blocks making the turn aft.

Gunni · Jun 3, 2016

Way down here in the land of cotton....we call it "sweating the main" when we stand at the mast and hand hoist the 'mains'l'. There ain't no jumpin' going on!

Jackdaw · Jun 3, 2016

Gunni said:
Way down here in the land of cotton....we call it "sweating the main" when we stand at the mast and hand hoist the 'mains'l'. There ain't no jumpin' going on!

;^)

On Kestrel our last two 'mast' team members have been petite and athletic ladies. When they 'jump' the halyards while races they truly jump.... jumping up and grabbing it, and letting their 115lbs to help pull it down. The faster the sail is a full hoist, the faster we get rolling. This happens 10-20 times a race.

Gunni · Jun 3, 2016

Oh my, is there a video of that?