What to do with extra halyard

[davidmhull]

When my boat was first sold it had a conventional halyard for the main and the jib. A Harken roller reefing system was added some years ago which negated the need for a halyard to pull the jib up the forestay. I now have an extra halyard which is half rope half wire. I do not need anything to assist in stepping or raising the mast since I use the current halyard associated with the roller reefing to do that. I thought of using it for a down haul on the main but I don't really feel like I need one. My lines are not run to the cockpit so I have to be up at the mast to lower the main anyway and just pulling it down has never been an issue. Another thought was to use it as a topping lift to get the boom out of my face when powering. My question is : if you had an extra halyard not doing anything what would you use it for? Thanks.

 

[woodster]

I have two extra halyards and am glad I have them you may see a time when you to hoist some thing on to the boat or you may have malfunction on the one in use and it is a lot easyer to get out of a bind with backup

 

[Parsons]

I agree with woodster that having an additional halyard comes in handy on occasion, if its not in the way the other 99% of the time. I hate topping lifts on small boats, however, and substituted a Boomkicker first season I owned mine. If it was an all rope halyard and you didn't need it, I'd keep the line to have a spare low-stretch line around the boat -- you never know when something may break. Those spliced wire things are a pain, however, and I'm glad they went out of fashion with modern low-stretch fibers. If you don't leave it rigged, trash it.

 

[David in Sandusky]

Sounds like a spinnaker halyard to me!

We have a topping lift, and have no problems with it.

 

[SailormanDan]

Sounds like a spinnaker halyard to me!

I went to a roller furler and clip my old jib halyard back out of the way and use it with my gennaker.

 

[ggrizzard]

And unless you re-rig the halyard to run aft off the mast top sheave, you can't use it for a topping lift.

 

[gettinthere]

When I go up the mast I always use 2 halyards.
I have one hoisting me up and the second one is rigged for my ascender for safety.

 

[Joe]

A spare halyard is a blessing. Use it to fly a wire luff staysail for very light air or to go wing on wing with your headsail. You can use it as a topping lift for your whisker pole.... You can use it to hoist items onto the foredeck.... a dinghy perhaps... or a MOB...
But most importantly... you can use it to support the mast if you break a stay or shroud.

 

[jepomer]

A Harken roller reefing system was added some years ago which negated the need for a halyard to pull the jib up the forestay. I now have an extra halyard which is half rope half wire.

Harken reefing furler systems DO use the foresail halyard!

Perhaps you have a Harken 436 (or similar) furling system that uses a wire luff permanently sewn into the luff of the sail.

 

[davidmhull]

Yes Jepomer that is what I have. My working jib and 170% Jenny both have wire sewn into the luff. One reason why I am addressing this at all is that the wire rope clangs on the mast all night long. After reading the replies here I will rig it with a good quality line and wait for an opportunity to use it. Thanks.

 

[rgranger]

When I go up the mast I always use 2 halyards.
I have one hoisting me up and the second one is rigged for my ascender for safety.

He has an O'Day 22.... He he.... I'd pay money to watch someone go up the mast on that boat.

 

[Charlie Jones s/v Tehani]

He has an O'Day 22.... He he.... I'd pay money to watch someone go up the mast on that boat.

LOL- I was thinking the same thing - Grin

 

[MrBill_FLL]

on a bigger boat I would keep it as a backup, or extra front stay (if needed).

On a 22' I would remove it.

 

[centerline]

after reading all the responses, you have probably came to the conclusion that you dont have a spare halyard on your boat, but you only have a line coming from the top of your mast that you havent found a use for yet....
the jib still uses a halyard even if the boat is equipped with a furler.... the other line is for a spinnaker.

 

[gettinthere]

He has an O'Day 22.... He he.... I'd pay money to watch someone go up the mast on that boat.

No mention of the boat to know that. I tried checking his profile but found nothing.

 

[Joe]

No mention of the boat to know that. I tried checking his profile but found nothing.

Look under the avatar.

 

[davidmhull]

Yes my boat is an Oday 22 and I have no intentions of going up the mast. After owning a 40' boat for many years I decided to get something that was easy to sail solo and move to any body of water I wanted after I retired. She and I are very well suited for each other. As far as the "extra halyard" goes I can leave it or take it off quite easily without playing monkey. I can always put it back on easy enough. I was trying to find a clever use for it by asking what others would do if they found themselves with a spare halyard or in this case whatever you prefer to call it. Heck I might just run up the jolly roger. Thanks to those who replied.