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Getting the halyard end back down

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trent
1st Mate

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USA
44 Posts

Initially Posted - 04/19/2004 : 11:27:15

While I was away working on my mainsail the halyard made its way loose and the end is now at the top of the mast leaving me with some rope in my hand and no way to put the main back on.

Is there a way to get the end back to me short of a bosun's chair? I'm horribly afraid of heights...

Thanks - Trent

Edited by - on

Sea Trac
Master Marine Consultant

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Vanuatu
1357 Posts

Response Posted - 04/19/2004 : 11:40:46

Hi Trent,

This seems to be a fairly common occurrence on wire halyard boats. I've had great success using the hanging hook end of a clothes hanger taped to the other halyard. Run the coat hanger up the mast, twirl it around gently until you've hooked the shackle, bowline, splice eye, or wrapped the line.

Good luck,

Edited by - on

Charlie Vick
Captain

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USA
423 Posts

Response Posted - 04/19/2004 : 13:11:15

I lost my jib halyard one day changing sails in the middle of the lake. Luckily a friend of mine was out at the same time and he dropped his sails and pulled up beside me and proceeded to climb my mast, unaided I might add, and retreived my halyard. Kind of an unorhodoxed way of getting your halyard back but it worked for me. Plus it only cost me one beer!

By the way where do you sail out of Tulsa?

CVick
PanaceaII '81 C25 #2439 SRSK
Fort Smith, AR

Edited by - Charlie Vick on 04/19/2004 13:13:53

Champipple
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
6855 Posts

Response Posted - 04/19/2004 : 13:37:25

That happened to us a number of times back in the wire halyard days. I would have never considered it to be a function of having wire halyards until now, but it makes sense. Bosuns chair up on the jib halyard, spin halyard as backup was the only way to do it at sea. Back at the dock we went over to the mast step crane and sent a guy up in that so we didn’t have to drop the mast.

JB – tell me more about your coat hanger method. It seems like an exercise in patience.- and don’t you need to make sure to attach a line to the halyard so you don’t lose them both up there..

Charlie – if it only cost you one beer you got off way too easy.

Edited by - on

Sea Trac
Master Marine Consultant

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Vanuatu
1357 Posts

Response Posted - 04/19/2004 : 13:42:35

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Duane Wolff
 JB – tell me more about your coat hanger method. It seems like an exercise in patience.- and don’t you need to make sure to attach a line to the halyard so you don’t lose them both up there..<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Duane, it's not really as difficult as it would seem. I'd say less than five minutes on average to rig and retrieve.

YES, I did forget to mention that it requires rigging a control line so as not to lose the other halyard, too. Good catch, Duane!

Edited by - on

trent
1st Mate

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USA
44 Posts

Response Posted - 04/19/2004 : 14:42:00

Ha, I thought about the control line but thanks. It looks like a real trick to see up there. I took binoculars to it but the angle was just too steep. I'll try that from the dock.

Charlie, I sail at Oolagah lake up north of Tulsa about 30 minutes. It isn't for everyone, there isn't much activity like Grand and Keystone but I like the quiet. There aren't many speed boats and generally on a nice day there are about five or ten sailboats out.

I had considered sending a magnet up there on the jib halyard, any sense to that??

-Trent

Edited by - on

Tony Dillon
Navigator

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USA
168 Posts

Response Posted - 04/19/2004 : 15:41:04

I don't think a magnet will work. Most Stainless is non-magnetic.

Edited by - on

eric.werkowitz
Captain

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USA
283 Posts

Response Posted - 04/19/2004 : 17:31:03

Trent,

I used a method similar to what J.B. suggested. I ducct taped two clothes hanger hooks to a section of broom handle about two feet long. I taped the bottom half of the broom stick to the jib halyard (this allows the grapple to extend above the the mast head)and tied the ends of the halyard together so I couldn't lose it up the mast. Using the jib halyard I could move the grapple up to the top of the mast and by twisting the halyard could maneuver it to snag the shackle. Took about 10 minutes of fiddling.

Edited by - on

Brooke Willson
Admiral

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USA
983 Posts

Response Posted - 04/19/2004 : 21:38:11

Mine went to the masthead last Fall, and I took that as a sign I should finally convert to all rope halyards in the Spring. The mast is down, and all the standing and running rigging will be replaced this weekend.

Brooke

Edited by - on

Doug G.
1st Mate

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USA
49 Posts

Response Posted - 04/19/2004 : 21:46:37

I still have original wire halyards in good shape(fresh water only). Is a lost halyard really less likely with all rope? Or is that just a good way to justify a new toy?

Edited by - on

JimB517
Past Commodore

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USA
3285 Posts

Response Posted - 04/20/2004 : 00:08:11

with my new all rope halyards, if I let go the shackle, it remains. WIth the wire it used to go up the mast quickly.

Edited by - on

Frank Hopper
Past Commodore

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Pitcairn Island
6776 Posts

Response Posted - 04/20/2004 : 08:03:45

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by JimB517
 with my new all rope halyards, if I let go the shackle, it remains. WIth the wire it used to go up the mast quickly.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
I was just thinking about you and Derek, wondering if your spliced halyards would want to shoot to the top, what with the heavier end and all. I went out yesterday for the first time and my new rope halyards sit very peacefully when you let go of them; as one would expect of equal weights on both sides of the sheaves.

Edited by - on

Charlie Vick
Captain

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USA
423 Posts

Response Posted - 04/20/2004 : 12:46:37

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by trent

Charlie, I sail at Oolagah lake up north of Tulsa about 30 minutes. It isn't for everyone, there isn't much activity like Grand and Keystone but I like the quiet. There aren't many speed boats and generally on a nice day there are about five or ten sailboats out.

-Trent
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Gee 5 or 10 sailboats! I'd love to see 5. The most I've ever see on Tenkiller is 3 and I sail most every weekend. There are lots of sailboats on Tenkiller but they don't seem to get used much.
By the way good luck with your halyard. Seems by the posts it happens to a lot of us.

CVick
PanaceaII '81 C25 #2439 SRSK
Fort Smith, AR

Edited by - Charlie Vick on 04/20/2004 12:48:12

trent
1st Mate

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USA
44 Posts

Response Posted - 04/20/2004 : 15:06:46

That brings up another question for the group. Can I change my wire spliced halyards to just rope?

Charlie, I'd thought about Tenkiller since it is nicer than Oolagah but the drive time didn't make sense. I hear it is beautiful down there.

-Trent

Edited by - on

Frank Hopper
Past Commodore

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Pitcairn Island
6776 Posts

Response Posted - 04/20/2004 : 16:36:32

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by trent
 That brings up another question for the group. Can I change my wire spliced halyards to just rope?

Charlie, I'd thought about Tenkiller since it is nicer than Oolagah but the drive time didn't make sense. I hear it is beautiful down there.

-Trent
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

I used to go to a frostbite at FT. Gibson, it is very pretty as well.

Edited by - on

JimB517
Past Commodore

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USA
3285 Posts

Response Posted - 04/20/2004 : 19:15:31

3/8 braided dacron center spliced to 3/16 V12 (high tech line) fits through the existing sheeves and is the cheapest way to convert to all rope halyards. Under $300 for both lines, including thimbles, and all splices. If you go with the Catalina Direct kit for all 5/16 line it requires new sheaves and is well over $500 plus you have to drop the mast and install the new hardware. However in a few years when you replace the lines it will be a lot cheaper.

I got mine from West Marine Rigging Shop, they beat the Layline price. Very satisfied with service and quality from them.

My wife went up in a bosuns chair to run the new halyards.

No more meat hooks and you can grab the 3/16 V12 and pull when you have to.

Edited by - on

ClamBeach
Master Marine Consultant

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3072 Posts

Response Posted - 04/20/2004 : 20:50:06

I got new masthead sheaves from Bellpat marine.. about $25 as I recall. A 5/16" 65' Jib halyard with braided eye and snap shackle costs about $70 from Sailnet. About the same price for a 65' Main halyard. That's enough length to lead the lines aft to the cockpit. (standard rig)

About $180 (+-) for the project. Very happy with the results.

Edited by - on

Brooke Willson
Admiral

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USA
983 Posts

Response Posted - 04/20/2004 : 21:34:54

I'd recommend you look at Defender (defender.com) for cordage. I found their prices really hard to beat.

Brooke

Edited by - on

Champipple
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
6855 Posts

Response Posted - 04/21/2004 : 08:12:52

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Brooke Willson
 I'd recommend you look at Defender (defender.com) for cordage. I found their prices really hard to beat.

Brooke
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

As were the prices at Layline. They had a number of items in the dead-end category that were perfect for the C-25.

Edited by - on

joeb
Deckhand

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USA
2 Posts

Response Posted - 04/21/2004 : 18:36:38

I used a bosun chair, but I hired the neighbor's 13 yr old kid for $10 and I hauled him up. It was a snap.

Edited by - on

joeb
Deckhand

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USA
2 Posts

Response Posted - 04/21/2004 : 18:39:24

I had the same problem - and I used a bosun's chair. But, I hired the 13 yr old kid next door for $10 and hauled him up the mast. It was a cinch!

Edited by - on

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