I was out in rough weather last week and the jib halyard broke and dropped into the mast on my 1985 Hunter 34. I have tried running an electrician's wire up the mast with which to pull down,or up, a new line. Getting the wire into and started up the mast was difficult and frustrating. There must be some trick to this. I cannot visualize the path the rope & wire must follow around the sheaves and up the mast. And when and if I can get the wire to the top or bottom of the mast, how do I pull it out. A 90 degree turn seems essential. Any help here?. On one try I got the wire a third of the way up when it hit a wall and would go no further. Anyone else have this problem. If so how did you resolve it? How do you install new halyards through the mast when the old halyard is not there to tie to. I can go up the mast with a mast mate and drop the wire from the top but would the problems not be the same? Anyone have a diagram of the route around the sheaves and into the mast? Thanks. Norm
replace broken jib halyard
- Thread starter Norm17054
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I've done it.
Thanks to StaSet X. My splice un-rove in the lee of Alcatraz Is. in SF Bay. It all dropped to the inside bottom. (main halyard) First chore, remove it. Next get yourself some of that utility line from West Marine. It's 1/8 inch. You'll need the full uncut bundle of 100'. Then attach a good size lead sinker or weight. From the top of the mast drop the weight over the desired sheave. Because of the curve of the pre-bend tuning, the weight should fall fair, to the bottom. You don't want to be on the wrong side of one of those through bolts that the diagonals are bolted too. The weight will fall to the bottom. Have a helper pull it out from the bottom of the halyard pulley. Then it's a simple matter to tie it to the halyard. Vinyl tape will work. The person at the masthead just pulls it up and keep a hold until he's lowered. Then you can splice up an new shackle. Good luck.
Thanks to StaSet X. My splice un-rove in the lee of Alcatraz Is. in SF Bay. It all dropped to the inside bottom. (main halyard) First chore, remove it. Next get yourself some of that utility line from West Marine. It's 1/8 inch. You'll need the full uncut bundle of 100'. Then attach a good size lead sinker or weight. From the top of the mast drop the weight over the desired sheave. Because of the curve of the pre-bend tuning, the weight should fall fair, to the bottom. You don't want to be on the wrong side of one of those through bolts that the diagonals are bolted too. The weight will fall to the bottom. Have a helper pull it out from the bottom of the halyard pulley. Then it's a simple matter to tie it to the halyard. Vinyl tape will work. The person at the masthead just pulls it up and keep a hold until he's lowered. Then you can splice up an new shackle. Good luck.
This job.....
...is either done from the top of the mast or on the hard with the mast horizontal. It's easiest to just go up and drop a messenger line down with a few flyfishing weights on the end. The trick is not to get a wrap on one of the other halyards on the way down. I would suggest that you consider changing all of your halyards at the same time. Halyards do have a life expectancy and it is so much easier to replace them BEFORE they break. PS. Put long eye splices in for your shackles. That way you can change either the shackle or the halyard without having to cut the splice off.
...is either done from the top of the mast or on the hard with the mast horizontal. It's easiest to just go up and drop a messenger line down with a few flyfishing weights on the end. The trick is not to get a wrap on one of the other halyards on the way down. I would suggest that you consider changing all of your halyards at the same time. Halyards do have a life expectancy and it is so much easier to replace them BEFORE they break. PS. Put long eye splices in for your shackles. That way you can change either the shackle or the halyard without having to cut the splice off.
my experience
I drop a piece of light line down the mast with a short (6-12")piece of small chain at the end. Use one of the magnets on the end of a flexible metal wand to fish it out at the mast end. Has worked successfully for multiple halyard additions.
I drop a piece of light line down the mast with a short (6-12")piece of small chain at the end. Use one of the magnets on the end of a flexible metal wand to fish it out at the mast end. Has worked successfully for multiple halyard additions.
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