Something stupid

[Gina Hopen]

Alright, so I have this sailboat that I bought recently, but I did something really stupid when I was out the other day. While bringing my jib in, after a wonderful day of sailing. My jib line ended up inside of the mast and was pulled all of the way out. Now she needs to be re-threaded from the top of the mast to the bottom. She's a trailer sailor, any ideas?:cry:

 

[Rick D]

What some riggers do is to tie a length of chain to the line and fish it out at the opening with a wire hook. In your case, if the mast is down, you would probably tilt it so that the chain can go downhill (I think?).

 

[Merlin Clark]

8 bucks ar Harbor Freight for a 50' nylon fish tape. Run it thru the mast, attach the halyard and pull it back.
http://www.harborfreight.com/50-ft-nylon-fish-tape-66505.html
a lot more fun and less frustrating than pushing rope!

 

[PrincessoftheLake]

Gina-
Happens to all of us and usually more than once. My recommendation is the fish tape. I have rescued a number of lines with one. Good luck!

 

[caguy]

At school when they were installing underground conduit for the new computer system they took a cone attached to a light line and blew it through with compressed air, With the light line they were able to pull through a heavier messenger line. It was amazing just how far the were able to pull the fiber optics that way.
If you don't have a compressor you could to the same with a shop vac. and suck a wad of paper ttached to a kite string.
BTW if that doesn't work you can rend fish tapes from most tool rental stores.
Good luck.

 

[Roger Long]

$150.00 later (I'm too old to climb masts), my main halyard has a knot in the end with the tail doubled back on itself and seized to the standing part. It had a knot before but, when I was first sailing with my boys, the knot mysteriously disappeared after I said something like, "Untie the end of that rope."