Replacing main sail halyard

[Slipin Away]

I need to replace the main sail halyard on my 45cc with Selden in mast furling. The portion of the line exposed to the elements is deteriorating. What is the connection from the top of the sail to the halyard?

Is it a line with an eye splice to connect a shackle to?
or
Is it a line with a bow line knot attached to a shackle?

What connects the sail to the halyard. Shackle?, Hook?

I can buy a new halyard with an eye splice already included; thinking I can use it to attach it to the old line at the boom location and pull it up thru the pulleys back to the deck

I would appreciate any insight from someone who has done this

 

[jssailem]

Various methods are used. The eye splice, a knotted halyard to shackle, the use of D or twisted shackles etc.
There is no hard and fast rule. There are conditions that may affect what you choose.

For instance, if the available space from the full height of your main sail to the sheave is minimal the knotted shackle technique may be preferred. It uses up the least amount of space letting you fully raise the sail. The use of eye splices is nice, but eye splices are exposed to UV and they will eventually rot. This causes the owner to either reverse the line using an eye splice at the opposite end, cut off the splice and tie the line to a shackle or replace the halyard.

It is your boat and your choice.
I use a long U shackle with captured pin. I tie the shackle to the halyard. If on inspection if find that chafe/age has degraded the line I simply cut the line back to good line and tie the shackle on again.
Halyard hitch on Shackle.

 

[dlochner]

The answer should be in the manual.

It is likely an eye splice attached to upper swivel with a shackle.

https://support.seldenmast.com/files/1584960904/595-065-E.pdf

 

[kbgunn]

You can definitely use the old halyard to pull the new halyard through the mast. Whip the un-spliced end of the new halyard to the eye splice of the old halyard with some whipping twine. Put some tape around the whipping to let it pass through sheaves easily without snags.

Page 8 of the manual @dlochner linked above shows the attachment. The halyard is dyneema with a polyester cover (or similar UHMWPE rope). The dyneema should have an eye splice to attach to the furler upper swivel. The upper swivel pin will pass through the eye splice and secure with a cotter pin retention. The swivel pin only comes out one side of it's seat.

It is close quarters working inside the mast to remove the pin. I recommend you pass some whipping twine through the hole of the pin after you remove the cotter pin. That way if you lose your grip, the pin won't fall down inside the mast.

Also note on page 9 the direction of the sail furl on the starboard side. Sometimes the direction gets turned around by inexperienced crew. The proper directions aids furling the sail easily.

 

[dkinzer]

Sometimes the direction gets turned around by inexperienced crew.

When we bought our 2007 41AC two years ago, the clutches were all nicely labeled. I later realized after reading the Selden documentation that the wrong side of the furling loop was marked as "Main Furl In" so the mail was actually furled backward. It was a simple matter, of course, to re-furl it the correct way and I re-labeled the clutches.

 

[Hayden Watson]

Not your direct question but when you are pulling in your new halyard, you may find that an eye splice is too big to pass through the blocks at the masthead. On my boat it is so tight up there that I have problems getting an end-to-end whipping line splice to go around. I have put reeving or flemish eye in the cockpit end of all of my halyards which is a splice of just the cover with the core removed. Because of that it is much more flexible and smaller diameter than the actual line and pulls in very easy. This allows me to take them down each year and wash them which keeps them much more supple and extends their life.

 

[flightlead404]

When we bought our 2007 41AC two years ago, the clutches were all nicely labeled. I later realized after reading the Selden documentation that the wrong side of the furling loop was marked as "Main Furl In" so the mail was actually furled backward. It was a simple matter, of course, to re-furl it the correct way and I re-labeled the clutches.

Mine was also like this. It furled a lot easier once I set it up correctly. Actually, the UNfurling was more improved than the furling.