slow spinnaker halyard

[cindy15934]

Hi, We have a 1988 First 285. We are barely able to raise our spinnaker halyard, and it is just as difficult to get down. It has been like this since we bought the boat 3 yrs. ago. Needless to say we don't use the spinnaker like we would like to. My husband thinks it is just slow because it was never used and that we should just keep working it. We have a fractional rig with roller furling. I believe there is a sheave where the gen & spin halyards exit the mast (inside). I am afraid of wrecking my genoa sheave if I force the spin. Does anyone know what could be going on in there? The halyard does move, but with effort and lots of bad sounding noises. Thanks, Cindy

 

[larryw]

The halyard has probably jumped the sheave. You'll have to get up the mast to check it. While your up there, inspect everything. Take a can of spray lube with you (not WD40)

 

[DougM]

I agree that either the halyard has jumped the sheave, or possibly that the sheave itself has disintegrated. Its probably on the same shaft as the jib halyard if its internal.
If you discover that is in fact the problem, it would be a good idea to replace the jib halyard sheave as well.

If you go to the spar manufacturer's website, which may be USspars, there will be some fairly good schematics showing how everything is assembled, as well as their part numbers for the sheaves (although the sheaves are probably fairly common size available from your favorite source)

 

[cindy15934]

Since we could move the halyard, we just kept moving it back and forth - the amount we could move it increased each time. We then added a messenger and pulled the halyard down. It was all kinked and twisted in one approx 3 foot area. We then soaked the halyard in thick dish soap and sent it back up - working it back and forth, until it was moving very well. I think a new halyard may be what we need. I hope we are right, and thanks for all advice. Cindy s/v "Velocity"

 

[DougM]

That's interesting...

Does your halyard shackle have a swivel ? It sounds like if it doesn't, the halyard is getting twisted every time the spinnaker is raised and lowered, or if the chute wraps. A swivel might stop some of that.

lines get twisted all the time. One way to get the twist out is to trail them behind the boat while it is moving. This works pretty well with jib sheets and main sheets. I realize its a problem with a halyard unless its already out of the mast.

 

[cindy15934]

that is a great thought. It does have a swival (sp?) but it is as sticky and unused as the halyard. When we bought the boat we replaced the other halyards, but not the spin. The halyard definately appears that it has twisted itself pretty bad somewhere along the line. I will absolutely change the shackle also when we replace the halyard. Thanks, I would have most likely reused that shackle. Cindy

 

[Randyonr3]

We've found that internal line do run a little tighter than external.. maybe because of the routing..
What we've done is to hoist a block with another line on it and an external helyard.. for traveling off-shore, we've added a couple extra lines this way to the masthead..
Use the spinnaker halyard to rase the block..