Seeking advice: We have a 1977 Catalina 27 with the original cable halyards. The cable on the jib halyard is constantly coming off the sheeve track at the mast head, so we have decided to replace with double braided line. My question is, with the cable & thimble at the dead end of the cable, how can I replace with the line halyard without going up the mast? I watched a video from Sailrite showing replacement of line to line, but unsure if one can do it from cable to line. Any ideas or advice from you seasoned salts?
New Halyards
- Thread starter kirkandsue
- Start date
I think this is a bad idea without some additional research. The sheaves in the masthead are designed for a certain diameter, be that wire or braided line. The first thing you need to know is what diameter that sheave can accept.
Second, why is the jib halyard coming off the sheave? This could very likely be because the sheave is damaged and needs to be replaced. If you just convert over to a double braided line you could just end up chafing through the new line due to a damaged sheave.
So I would either have someone go up the mast, if safe, and check the sheaves condition and size. Then you can try to replace if everything is fine or drop the mast to make the repairs in which case you will be changing the sheaves anyways.
Good luck and fair winds,
Jesse
Second, why is the jib halyard coming off the sheave? This could very likely be because the sheave is damaged and needs to be replaced. If you just convert over to a double braided line you could just end up chafing through the new line due to a damaged sheave.
So I would either have someone go up the mast, if safe, and check the sheaves condition and size. Then you can try to replace if everything is fine or drop the mast to make the repairs in which case you will be changing the sheaves anyways.
Good luck and fair winds,
Jesse
Thanks Jesse, I did some research and the sheaves are made for 1/8" cable. I'm ordering new sheaves and using a bucket truck, replace the sheaves and halyards,at same time without having to drop the mast.
Thanks again for your advice. I appreciate it.
Kirk
Thanks again for your advice. I appreciate it.
Kirk
You could get different sheaves that take larger line so you can go all rope and eliminate the wire.
There is a drawing/diagram of the C27 masthead in the "manuals" section in the Catalina owner's website. www.catalina27.org You can't just order wider sheaves... the width of the masthead fitting is restrictive. The factory sheaves have a "U" shaped channel, rather than a "Vee" shape.... and can accommodate wire or rope. The problem is the rope diameter is limited to 1/4".... So... what to do...
Simple... build a "tapered" halyard.... where the high tech core, such as dyneema, is only covered where handling, cleating and winching are required. i.e the back half.
I have built a number of these type of halyards... and have described the process many times over the years. They work beautifully, run well through the sheaves, hold up well in the sun, and never produce meathooks.
On my boat I use an 80 foot core of 3/16 Samson Amsteel. The cover 40 feet of 5/16 Samson LS. The core of the inexpensive LS is used to fish the new high tech core into position. A "taper" splice buries the cover into the core at the transition point....approx. 1/2 the length of the total halyard. The covered 5/16 part of the halyard never goes through the masthead sheave..... So there is no need to climb the mast to change the sheaves out.....
The two splice needed are pretty simple. Instructions are on the Samson website.
If you have the original wire/rope halyard, there's a good chance that the two are NOT spliced together.... but rather the rope may be tied to thimble eye on the wire ... which means you'll need to pull off the exit block at the mast base... Whatever challenge you face in this area... the most important thing is to replace the old halyard with a messenger line...don't just pull it out...
A messenger line of thin cord can be spiraled around the wire and taped. There should be not heavy tugging, this slender connection should not get hung up on its trip through the sheave box and masthead fitting.
Use the messenger to run the new core....don't put the cover on yet... once the core is in place you can splice the eye into the shackle end... I recommend a large loop "luggage tag" size eye... this will allow you to attach or change the shackle easily.
Mark the taper point for the cover by attaching the messenger to the shackle and "hoist" the sail.... on my boat the cover is a few feet in front of the clutch... remember, you don't want the taper to reach the masthead sheave. Now you can bend on the cover.. tape the new core to the core of the cover line and start milking it through... following the splice instructions.
Note.. you can use 1/4" core, 3/8" cover... but.. it's over kill and way more expensive.
I found 3/16 amsteel on sale for less than $1/ft, the Samson LS was about .49 cents.ft .. so $100 for core and cover, and whatever you want to spend on a shackle.... much less than wire to rope replacement and a lot stronger.
Simple... build a "tapered" halyard.... where the high tech core, such as dyneema, is only covered where handling, cleating and winching are required. i.e the back half.
I have built a number of these type of halyards... and have described the process many times over the years. They work beautifully, run well through the sheaves, hold up well in the sun, and never produce meathooks.
On my boat I use an 80 foot core of 3/16 Samson Amsteel. The cover 40 feet of 5/16 Samson LS. The core of the inexpensive LS is used to fish the new high tech core into position. A "taper" splice buries the cover into the core at the transition point....approx. 1/2 the length of the total halyard. The covered 5/16 part of the halyard never goes through the masthead sheave..... So there is no need to climb the mast to change the sheaves out.....
The two splice needed are pretty simple. Instructions are on the Samson website.
If you have the original wire/rope halyard, there's a good chance that the two are NOT spliced together.... but rather the rope may be tied to thimble eye on the wire ... which means you'll need to pull off the exit block at the mast base... Whatever challenge you face in this area... the most important thing is to replace the old halyard with a messenger line...don't just pull it out...
A messenger line of thin cord can be spiraled around the wire and taped. There should be not heavy tugging, this slender connection should not get hung up on its trip through the sheave box and masthead fitting.
Use the messenger to run the new core....don't put the cover on yet... once the core is in place you can splice the eye into the shackle end... I recommend a large loop "luggage tag" size eye... this will allow you to attach or change the shackle easily.
Mark the taper point for the cover by attaching the messenger to the shackle and "hoist" the sail.... on my boat the cover is a few feet in front of the clutch... remember, you don't want the taper to reach the masthead sheave. Now you can bend on the cover.. tape the new core to the core of the cover line and start milking it through... following the splice instructions.
Note.. you can use 1/4" core, 3/8" cover... but.. it's over kill and way more expensive.
I found 3/16 amsteel on sale for less than $1/ft, the Samson LS was about .49 cents.ft .. so $100 for core and cover, and whatever you want to spend on a shackle.... much less than wire to rope replacement and a lot stronger.