Mast bail for halyard shackles

[MattObjects]

I have 5 halyards on my mast (not counting flag halyards) and am looking for a way to organize the halyard shackles at the mast base when the halyards are not in use.

My first thought was to attach a stainless steel bail near the mast base but I can't find anywhere that sells one big enough to fit my mast. I thought about having one fabricated by a local metal shop but as I was thinking about that I wondered why not make a dyneema bail for the mast?

The idea is that I would mount two stainless steel eyestraps to the mast with a length of dyneema between them, just loose enough to allow the halyard shackles to all be clipped to the lline. They wouldn't be under much load since the halyard wouldn't be in use.

The only downside I see to this is chafe between the halyard shackles and the mast, though I could wrap the mast with a piece of leather just above the eyestraps to prevent that.

What do y'all think- would this work? If not, what do you attach your halyard shackles to? Thanks!

 

[DougM]

I think that a dyneema loop would work. As stated, the halyards aren't under load.
Another idea would be to mount something like a stainless steel towel rod to the deck at the base of the mast. Just a thought.

 

[pateco]

I store all of my unused halyard(s) clipped to the rail just behind or in front of the shrouds and chain plates. This keeps them out of the way of the sails, and other running rigging, as well as preventing halyard slap and mast chafe. In the photos attached you can see my main halyard attached to the rail just behind the stanchion. This keeps it clear of the mast, and the spreaders.

 

[Jackdaw]

While sailing or while moored?? Big difference on what you do.

While moored pull them far from the mast to avoid chafe and slap. All our forward ones go to the lifeline loops on the pulpit, the main is used as a toppling lift.

While underway and racing, they go to a ring at the mast base. While cruising, a d-ring on the deck just slightly forward and to the side of the mast. Helps mimimise the problems while being mostly out of the way.

 

[Sandy Stone]

My halyards run through turning blocks at the base of the mast, out to deck organizers, and back to the cockpit. I clip the unused halyards to themselves, between the mast and deck organizer, and tension them by hand. This at least keeps them far enough from the mast to stop them from clanging.

 

[rgranger]

While sailing or while moored?? Big difference on what you do.

While moored pull them far from the mast to avoid chafe and slap. All our forward ones go to the lifeline loops on the pulpit, the main is used as a toppling lift.

While underway and racing, they go to a ring at the mast base. While cruising, a d-ring on the deck just slightly forward and to the side of the mast. Helps mimimise the problems while being mostly out of the way.

Yep that is what I do also. Life lines at the dock, clipped to a ring on the mast while sailing.

Get one or two of these and rivet them to the mast.

Just look up "Spinnaker Mast Ring" and you will find lots of options. They probably sell them here on the SBO site.

 

[MattObjects]

I store all of my unused halyard(s) clipped to the rail just behind or in front of the shrouds and chain plates.

That is a great idea. I don't have a toe rail on my boat to which things can be clipped (we have bulwarks instead) but my stanchion bases do each have two places where halyards could be attached.

 

[MattObjects]

While sailing or while moored?? Big difference on what you do.

While moored pull them far from the mast to avoid chafe and slap. All our forward ones go to the lifeline loops on the pulpit, the main is used as a toppling lift.

While underway and racing, they go to a ring at the mast base. While cruising, a d-ring on the deck just slightly forward and to the side of the mast. Helps mimimise the problems while being mostly out of the way.

Thanks. Do you see any downside to leaving them clipped to a d-ring on the deck while at anchor if the halyards are held away from the mast with a bungee to a shroud? We do that anyway for the working ends of the halyards, which are all affixed to cleats on the mast. We are mostly coastal cruising right now so we usually stop to anchor at night. It would be great to find a place for the halyard shackles that does not require me to reposition them twice a day given that most are not used regularly. This is not (just) a laziness thing-- counting the halyards, flag halyards, lazy jacks, etc., we've got 11 separate lines on the mast. Aside from the jib halyard shackle (which stays up as we have a rolller furler) and the standing end of the lazy jack lines, both ends of each line need to be secured somehow-- that's 19 line ends to secure so every time I rearrange them, there is a risk of fouling things.

 

[pateco]

While sailing or while moored?? Big difference on what you do.

While moored pull them far from the mast to avoid chafe and slap. All our forward ones go to the lifeline loops on the pulpit, the main is used as a toppling lift.
While underway and racing, they go to a ring at the mast base. While cruising, a d-ring on the deck just slightly forward and to the side of the mast. Helps minimise the problems while being mostly out of the way.

Jackdaw,

I am still working on puling the two extra halyards for my mast. Currently only have Main and Jib halyard so this is not an issue. When I am sailing they are attached to my sails. When not sailing, the jib halyard is still at the top of the furler, and the main halyard goes to the rail. Once I get the other two halyards run, I will explore your suggestions. They make sense for racing. Spin halyard would go to the ring on the spinnaker pole slide (original to the boat, but still new in box down below). Backup main halyard somewhere near the base of the mast.

 

[Jackdaw]

Thanks. Do you see any downside to leaving them clipped to a d-ring on the deck while at anchor if the halyards are held away from the mast with a bungee to a shroud? We do that anyway for the working ends of the halyards, which are all affixed to cleats on the mast. We are mostly coastal cruising right now so we usually stop to anchor at night. It would be great to find a place for the halyard shackles that does not require me to reposition them twice a day given that most are not used regularly. This is not (just) a laziness thing-- counting the halyards, flag halyards, lazy jacks, etc., we've got 11 separate lines on the mast. Aside from the jib halyard shackle (which stays up as we have a rolller furler) and the standing end of the lazy jack lines, both ends of each line need to be secured somehow-- that's 19 line ends to secure so every time I rearrange them, there is a risk of fouling things.

No that sounds fine. Just makes sure nothing chafes, and they stay clear of everything in use.