Reef line Routing

cb32863 · Jun 25, 2021

If you have a fish tape, I would buy one if you don't, and fish that through, tie it on and pull it back. That bolt situation seems a bit off.....

kloudie1 · Jun 25, 2021

If there is a boatyard nearby, talk to them about using a piece of old lifeline they may have lying around. It works like a fishtape

sail sfbay · Jun 25, 2021

Ran-Dee9229 said:
.........while I was reefing the end of the reef line came loose from the boom and I inadvertently pulled the line threw the reef clew grommet point and into the boom and half-way through the boom. Now I am faced the challenge of rethreading the reef line aft through the boom.............It seems like I will need to disassemble the boom just aft of the connection point to the mast - see photo. By taking out 4 bolts. Then I need some stiff and long (about 12 feet) to push thru the boom and attach the reef line to this long stiff guide-wire until it exits at the aft end of the boom. Does this make sense or is there a better way to do it?

Ouch!!

Another seriatim:

1. Use fish tape as proposed above by cb32863
2. Use a lifeline to push it through as proposed by kloudie1
3. Tape together 2 of your longest battens. You get some directional control to work around the other lines. Use a mainsail batten to push the line through.
4. Use a light piece of messenger line and a vacuum cleaner.
5. Use a short length of bicycle chain. The chain is about the same diameter or smaller as any running rigging. Leave the boom on the gooseneck and let the outboard end drop as low as it'll go.
6. Remove boom as you suggested, angle the boom then drop a weighted sewing line down the boom with the reefing line attached and then reassemble the boom.
7. Get a light piece of messenger line. Offer to buy a drink to the first girl who can get it through the boom.

Same issue came up on this thread with solutions: Threading a line through the boom - Sailing Anarchy - Sailing Anarchy Forums

dmax · Jun 25, 2021

The gooseneck attachment was originally fastened to the boom with rivets from the factory - a PO has replaced them with bolts and I assume tapped the boom (I did the same to ease future removal - I used pan-head bolts so they don't stick out so much and don't have hard edges). It will make it easier to fish the line through if you remove one of the boom-end fittings but you may be able to do it with them in place. It will be easier if you can remove the boom as well - then you can rotate it so the lines that are in the boom are at the bottom giving you a clear path to fish the new line through. You want to make sure all lines have a straight run and are not wrapped around each other. Placing the boom at an angle (or even vertical if you can) will ease fishing the line through. I had to fish a line through on mine and it was much easier than I expected (not the norm when working on a boat

).

dmax · Jun 25, 2021

You may be able to do it without removing the boom - snake the fish tape from the aft end of the boom as the access is easier. Try to keep it away from other lines and have it come out by the gooseneck.

Sailfanatic · Jun 25, 2021

FWIW, your split ring on the tack fitting is opening up, you want to replace that. I tape these up so they wont open.

dmax · Jun 25, 2021

Ran-Dee9229 said:
If I end up having to remove the boom how is that done?

The gooseneck fitting has a single pin that the boom pivots on, just remove the pin and anything else attached to the boom. You can probably do it without removing the boom, especially if you remove the aft boom fitting - you can then look right down the boom interior, getting a snake to travel 10 feet from there should be easy.

Tally Ho · Jun 25, 2021

in looking at this photo, I assume you have 2 reef lines and maybe an outhaul (at least I show my O’Day 322 is set up)…

Could you tape the “lost” reef line at this end of the boom to the other reef line, and then pull on the reef line at the other end of the boom? I guess depends on if you have blocks in the boom or not (my O’Day 322 does not) or if there are other things in there to get caught on…

I once pulled mine into the boom…about half way. I took a skinny board, put a sharp screw through it (pointy end run through the board), removed the end cap from the boom, and poked the board in…then brought i
the screw down on the line…and dragged it out…

Good luck...always something.

Greg

alexco38 · Jun 25, 2021

I would not use a snake or other implements to push as it has the potentials to wrap around a few other lines without you knowing it. You can't see inside the boom or mast. It is too long and too dark and you can't steer the snake. Later you might wonder how come some line are harder to pull.

The best way I found is to sew (using needle and threads) a small messenger line to an existing line (buddy) next to the one you missed. Use the buddy line to pull the messenger line thru. Never twist the buddy line. Once you see the messenger line emerges from the other end, use a cloth hanger to fish the messenger line from the intended holes on both ends. Keep the buddy line as tight as possible. The chance of the messenger line crossing other line is greatly reduced.

Good luck.

dmax · Jun 25, 2021

"I would not use a snake or other implements to push as it has the potentials to wrap around a few other lines without you knowing it. You can't see inside the boom or mast. It is too long and too dark and you can't steer the snake. Later you might wonder how come some line are harder to pull."

Having just done this on my boat I would respectively disagree - with the end cap removed and a fashlight I could see all the way down the boom. I was able to position all the lines to one side of the boom and had a clear path to snake a new reefing line through. I used a 6' piece of vinyl cable cover I had, taped the line to the end, angled the boom downward a bit and and in about 10 seconds it was out the other end - a stiffer snake would be even easier. I could see that it wasn't tangled with any of the other lines with a flashlight. However, the messenger method you mention is another way to do it, in fact I just did that to run a spare halyard in my mast.

dmax · Jun 25, 2021

From the factory, the end caps are held on by 4 rivets each - the gooseneck fitting on yours has bolts replacing the rivets. To remove the aft end plate, drill out the rivets/unscrew the bolts and it will come out (slide aft). You may have to tap it with a plastic hammer to persuade it.

Reef line Routing

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