While sailing last weekend in rather stiff winds with only a jib raised, the coupling between the top of the jib and the jib sheet snapped causing the jib to come fluttering to the deck and the sheet to fall helplessly down the inside of the mast. What is the recommended method to re-rig this sheet? How do I feed the sheet back up the inside of the mast so I can re-attach it to the jib? Any help would be greatly appreciated! Sincerely, Chip Langan "Nautical Rose"
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From the beginning.
Chip: FYI, the lines that raise the sails are referred to as Halyards. The lines that control the main and jibs are referred to as sheets. Enough of that BS. Being that you have a 23' you can probably drop the mast as easy as anything. Get yourself a piece of bicycle chain on a light weight line. You can purchase this stuff in multiple 50' lengths at the marine store and probably something that would work would be available at the hardware store. Attach the chain to the line and feed it down the mast. Attach a halyard to it and pull it back. With this fish line in place you can pull a halyard either way. To pull the halyard with a fish line you will need to sew them or attach them together. Remember that you CANNOT tie a knot because it will not go through the sheave or the mast exits. You should find out how/why the thing broke to begin with. If the line is rotten you should replace it. FYI - a knot in a line can reduce the breaking strength of a line by up to 75-85% of the the lines actual strength. It is recommended that you use a shackle on your halyards and not a knot for that reason. You will see many sailors that tie their sail on like this but you should be aware. Many of the marine stores have pre-made halyard the will fit your boat in stock at very good prices. Sometimes cheaper than purchasing the line alone.
Chip: FYI, the lines that raise the sails are referred to as Halyards. The lines that control the main and jibs are referred to as sheets. Enough of that BS. Being that you have a 23' you can probably drop the mast as easy as anything. Get yourself a piece of bicycle chain on a light weight line. You can purchase this stuff in multiple 50' lengths at the marine store and probably something that would work would be available at the hardware store. Attach the chain to the line and feed it down the mast. Attach a halyard to it and pull it back. With this fish line in place you can pull a halyard either way. To pull the halyard with a fish line you will need to sew them or attach them together. Remember that you CANNOT tie a knot because it will not go through the sheave or the mast exits. You should find out how/why the thing broke to begin with. If the line is rotten you should replace it. FYI - a knot in a line can reduce the breaking strength of a line by up to 75-85% of the the lines actual strength. It is recommended that you use a shackle on your halyards and not a knot for that reason. You will see many sailors that tie their sail on like this but you should be aware. Many of the marine stores have pre-made halyard the will fit your boat in stock at very good prices. Sometimes cheaper than purchasing the line alone.
D
Don Barber
Go with Fishtape
Chip, what you need to do is re-rig your halyard, not your jib sheet. The sheet is the rope that controls the sail, not the rope that hauls it to the top of the mast. I faced this problem myself, and it's not hard to solve. Get yourself a roll of electrician's fish tape, which is a long piece of spring-steel wound on a drum. The trick is to thread the tape inside the mast along the halyard's paath so that you can grab it where the halyard exits near the top. Then, you attach a string or light rope to the fish tape using the loop in the tape. The tape then pulls the light rope through the mast. This acts as a "lead " for your halyard. Next, you attach the end of the lead line to your halyard. This can best be done with needle and thread. It has to be set up so that the lead line can pull the halyard smoothly over the sheave (pulley) so that it enters the upper part of the mast . You then pull the halyard down through the mast to its exit point. That's all there is to it. Good luck. Don Barber S/V Third Degree
Chip, what you need to do is re-rig your halyard, not your jib sheet. The sheet is the rope that controls the sail, not the rope that hauls it to the top of the mast. I faced this problem myself, and it's not hard to solve. Get yourself a roll of electrician's fish tape, which is a long piece of spring-steel wound on a drum. The trick is to thread the tape inside the mast along the halyard's paath so that you can grab it where the halyard exits near the top. Then, you attach a string or light rope to the fish tape using the loop in the tape. The tape then pulls the light rope through the mast. This acts as a "lead " for your halyard. Next, you attach the end of the lead line to your halyard. This can best be done with needle and thread. It has to be set up so that the lead line can pull the halyard smoothly over the sheave (pulley) so that it enters the upper part of the mast . You then pull the halyard down through the mast to its exit point. That's all there is to it. Good luck. Don Barber S/V Third Degree
C
Chip Tobey
Fishing line for me too.
Imagine! Two "Chips" with H23s. Anyway, I used an old lead fishing weight attached to monofilament fishing line. (You might have to reshape the weight so it will fit, but it is easily done with a hammer.) I lowered the mast, led the line through the halyard sheeve on the mast, raised the mast and let gravity pull the sinker down through the inside of the spar. Then I secured the line to the new halyard and pulled it through (from the outside). It is important that this connection be secure, because if it lets go, you'll have to unstep and step the mast again. I also wound tape around this temporary splice to streamline it so that it wouldn't hang up as I pulled it through. If you didn't want to lower the mast, I suppose you could run someone up the mast using a bo'sun's chair and the main halyard. That makes me nervous, though. Since your jib halyard was evidently weak your main might be too. Good luck, and enjoy the sailing.
Imagine! Two "Chips" with H23s. Anyway, I used an old lead fishing weight attached to monofilament fishing line. (You might have to reshape the weight so it will fit, but it is easily done with a hammer.) I lowered the mast, led the line through the halyard sheeve on the mast, raised the mast and let gravity pull the sinker down through the inside of the spar. Then I secured the line to the new halyard and pulled it through (from the outside). It is important that this connection be secure, because if it lets go, you'll have to unstep and step the mast again. I also wound tape around this temporary splice to streamline it so that it wouldn't hang up as I pulled it through. If you didn't want to lower the mast, I suppose you could run someone up the mast using a bo'sun's chair and the main halyard. That makes me nervous, though. Since your jib halyard was evidently weak your main might be too. Good luck, and enjoy the sailing.
C
Chip
My apologies!
My apologies to calling it a "sheet" instead of a "halyard". I do know the difference and I stand corrected.
My apologies to calling it a "sheet" instead of a "halyard". I do know the difference and I stand corrected.
M
mike
my method
I did this 3 times last year for a new spinnaker and replacing my main and jib halyards. I ran my light weight but agile son up in a bosuns chair. He dropped a fish line down the mast and then we tied successively larger lines on until the halyard came through. To attach the halyard to the messenger I ran a small wire through the ends of the tow butting lines and wrapped them with tape. That gives you a strong union without bulk. The gravity of the standing mast is a great help. If you drop the mast you can use a stiff wire. Good luck!
I did this 3 times last year for a new spinnaker and replacing my main and jib halyards. I ran my light weight but agile son up in a bosuns chair. He dropped a fish line down the mast and then we tied successively larger lines on until the halyard came through. To attach the halyard to the messenger I ran a small wire through the ends of the tow butting lines and wrapped them with tape. That gives you a strong union without bulk. The gravity of the standing mast is a great help. If you drop the mast you can use a stiff wire. Good luck!
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