replacing internal mast halyards on tartan 33
- Thread starter yawstick
- Start date
Is the mast up or down? If down it is an easy task. Get an electricians fish tape and run it through the mast and pull the halyard through making sure the line runs cleanly and is not wrapped around any wires or other halyards.
More of a challenge if the mast is up because someone has to to to the masthead. Hard to do if the halyards are missing or in an unsafe condition.
More of a challenge if the mast is up because someone has to to to the masthead. Hard to do if the halyards are missing or in an unsafe condition.
It can be done, and as @dlochner said, way easier if the mast is down.
i would check and verify that there is no “messenger” line in place. These are small lines left in place when the halyards are removed. If messenger lines are there, you can pull a new halyard up and over the sheaves very easily.
If no messenger lines, and the mast is up, then someone has to climb the mast. Presumably, the main halyard is still in place. But you dont have a safety line then. You may be able to use a strap wrapped around the mast, or a topping lift if you have one.
If none of this is your cup of tea, then suggest you reach out to a rigger who should easily give you some options.
Greg
i would check and verify that there is no “messenger” line in place. These are small lines left in place when the halyards are removed. If messenger lines are there, you can pull a new halyard up and over the sheaves very easily.
If no messenger lines, and the mast is up, then someone has to climb the mast. Presumably, the main halyard is still in place. But you dont have a safety line then. You may be able to use a strap wrapped around the mast, or a topping lift if you have one.
If none of this is your cup of tea, then suggest you reach out to a rigger who should easily give you some options.
Greg
I'm probably thinking what Greg and others here are thinking - if there are missing halyards, it probably means the remaining one is questionable too. I would not trust anyone's life to a halyard that may be the original from 40 years ago. Price out what it would take to pull the mast or pay a fellow to go up a crane to do this work, and take it off the purchase price. Old sailboats are a dime-a-dozen, so it is a buyer's market.
The mast is still up... the main halyard is there... would replace it for sure... I'm thinking you would need to drop a line with a weight on it... and then fish it out through the exit holes with some improvised snag tool. It is stepped in the keel type I didnt really look to see if there was any sort of access hole below deck to assist in such an undertaking.
First replace the main halyard so there is something safe to use going up the mast. You will need a thin messenger line, I use ⅛" or 3/16" Dacron, like this line from Defender. It will need to be more than twice the length of the mast.
Attach the line to the bitter end of the halyard by sewing and then a layer of rigging tape. Pull the messenger line through the top of the mast and back down with the halyard. Attach the messenger line to the bitter end of the new halyard and pull the new halyard through.
While you will now have a good halyard to work with, you will not have a safety line if you go up the mast.
If you should choose to take the risk, a piece of bicycle chain works well as the weight. Use a magnet to fish the chain out of the exit sheave or hole on the mast. The chain works because it is flexible and can bend as it goes through the exit hole.
Once you have two good halyards it is possible to go up the mast safely, using one halyard to hoist and one as a safety line.
I've sailed a lot on a Tartan 33 and on the one I'm most familiar with there is an access/exit hole below the deck for the wiring. The wires go to a junction box in the head. This may have been an owner modification. I don't see how this will help with your halyard situation.
Each boat is different but I'm guessing that you will have to remove the exit plates to bring the new halyard out of the mast. Not a big deal at all. That presents an opportunity to put the exit blocks where you want them. I've been on other boats where they exit too low to effectively jump the halyard. I think they should be above your head by at least 3 feet. You, or your crew, can then get your whole body into raising the halyard.
The 33 is a 7/8 fractional rig so the jib halyard doesn't come out of the top of the mast. You will likely need to remove the sheeve box to drop a sinker line (Or bicycle chain) down the mast. I don't remember about the spinnaker on that boat. I'm guessing it's masthead.
Each boat is different but I'm guessing that you will have to remove the exit plates to bring the new halyard out of the mast. Not a big deal at all. That presents an opportunity to put the exit blocks where you want them. I've been on other boats where they exit too low to effectively jump the halyard. I think they should be above your head by at least 3 feet. You, or your crew, can then get your whole body into raising the halyard.
The 33 is a 7/8 fractional rig so the jib halyard doesn't come out of the top of the mast. You will likely need to remove the sheeve box to drop a sinker line (Or bicycle chain) down the mast. I don't remember about the spinnaker on that boat. I'm guessing it's masthead.
Since this a "new to you" boat... I would want to drop the mast and inspect the rigging, wiring, sheaves, light, antenna etc and run new halyards.
Once the mast is out, inspect the mast step.
I did the above on our C&C 30 and discovered that the mast step was rotten
, (And someone had filled the lower 6 ft of mast with spray foam, thereby trapping water in the mast and preventing running new wire).and took the opportunity to install conduit for the new wiring.
Even a professional survey wouldn't have found the rotten maststep unless the mast was down.
Based on my experience you should never assume the previous owner maintained anything or had a clue,.unless you have clear evidence.
Once the mast is out, inspect the mast step.
I did the above on our C&C 30 and discovered that the mast step was rotten
, (And someone had filled the lower 6 ft of mast with spray foam, thereby trapping water in the mast and preventing running new wire).and took the opportunity to install conduit for the new wiring.Even a professional survey wouldn't have found the rotten maststep unless the mast was down.
Based on my experience you should never assume the previous owner maintained anything or had a clue,.unless you have clear evidence.
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Bicycle chain sounds like a great idea. Likely better than fishing weight or some steel nuts as I have done for ages.
the exit holes were up off the deck a fair amount and 3 feet or so apart vertically there is winch that I think you could use on either... I dont recall if there were plates at the exits.... I had a drone with me but didnt think of it until now... could have got a closer look upstairs
The bicycle chain trick is probably the most commonly used way by yard workers. If it's not your boat yet, it shouldn't be your problem. It's an easy task for a yard with a lift. Paying the yard to do it would be my first option, for safety and liability. Perhaps the Seller should pay for it, but that's up to you to negotiate.
When purchasing a boat the common advice is to have the seller pay to fix whatever needs fixing. The seller can pay for these repairs directly, i.e. paying the yard to fix them or indirectly through a price reduction, which may have been taken when the boat was initially priced.
In this case, if the asking price of the boat was lower than similar models, then the price reduction has already been taken and missing halyards is not a hidden defect, it should be obvious. Price adjustments after an offer are only for hidden defects, ones not immediately obvious to the buyer.
For something like halyards, I would not ask the seller to replace them. The seller's incentive is to get the job done as cheaply as possible, which means using inexpensive and probably stretchy line for the halyards rather than an upgrade to a more appropriate line. And small extra costs, such as adding a reeving eye to the halyard or replacing the shackles would not included.
If you should make an offer on this boat, factor in the cost of the new halyards and the cost of installing them and replace them with the line you want, not the cheap stuff the seller will provide.
In this case, if the asking price of the boat was lower than similar models, then the price reduction has already been taken and missing halyards is not a hidden defect, it should be obvious. Price adjustments after an offer are only for hidden defects, ones not immediately obvious to the buyer.
For something like halyards, I would not ask the seller to replace them. The seller's incentive is to get the job done as cheaply as possible, which means using inexpensive and probably stretchy line for the halyards rather than an upgrade to a more appropriate line. And small extra costs, such as adding a reeving eye to the halyard or replacing the shackles would not included.
If you should make an offer on this boat, factor in the cost of the new halyards and the cost of installing them and replace them with the line you want, not the cheap stuff the seller will provide.
There are always a variety of ways you can work with the Seller. If they install old halyards or cheap quality, you can at least replace halyards more easily at a later date (as long as they didn't make a mess inside the mast).
Find a local rigger to make an assessment and estimate the cost of adding those halyards. It's worth the price of a boat buck to get the experience of a professional before buying a boat and finding out it's a money pit or a Daydream.
jssailem
SBO Weather and Forecasting Forum Jim & John
- Oct 22, 2014
- 22,746
Welcome to the SBO Forum.
There has been great advice shared here.
Good luck with your new boat.
There has been great advice shared here.
- Missing gear is a price negotiable opportunity
- Seller will make repairs but will not be motivated to spend money.
- With rigging, unless you have climbed a dozen or more masts, I would lean on a local rigger to take a look and share skill/advice.
- There will be more than just wires and halyards in the mast. Expect all sorts of garbage. This makes the task easier to resolve with the mast down.
- Cost of lowering a mast is less than the medical bills if you fall.
- With the mast down great time to verify the Mast and standing rigging is safe to take sailing on the ocean.
Good luck with your new boat.