Dinghy development: Replacing Halyard: RS600

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Replacing Halyard: RS600

Printed From: Yachts and Yachting Online
Category: Dinghy classes
Forum Name: Dinghy development
Forum Discription: The latest moves in the dinghy market
URL: http://www.yachtsandyachting.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=11571
Printed Date: 12 Jul 25 at 11:09pm
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Topic: Replacing Halyard: RS600

Posted By: dohertpk
Subject: Replacing Halyard: RS600
Date Posted: 25 Jul 14 at 11:33pm

Hi all,

I need to replace the halyard on my 600. I've never replaced a halyard before. Is it a big job? Would someone be so kind as to write me a brief, completely idiot proof guide to how it's done?

Cheers,

Peter

Replies:

Posted By: JimC
Date Posted: 26 Jul 14 at 12:45am

Assuming the old halyard is still in the mast
Tie the old halyard and the new halyard together end for end with whipping twine very very carefully.
Put a bit of tape over the junction to keep the two ends perfectly lined up.
Pull through v carefully using minimum of force
Untie
Relegate old halyard to tying down the boat.

Posted By: dohertpk
Date Posted: 26 Jul 14 at 10:50am

Hi Jim,

Thanks for that. My old halyard has actually disappeared inside the mast so I'm just going to have to pull it through. Do I have to use a plumb line or something?

Best,

Peter

Posted By: JimC
Date Posted: 26 Jul 14 at 2:51pm

Yeah, you'll have to thread something through. Everyone has their own methods. The cliché is fishing line, weights and the boat under the club furst floor window. Personally I find it easier to take the mast off the boat. If the mast is at 45 degrees or so you can just slide something down. With modern ropes that are quite stiff i've even succeedes in just using the rope, but you'd need to be very lucky. Bizarrely the easiest I've ever found is to use a reel of multicore solder!

Posted By: iiitick
Date Posted: 26 Jul 14 at 6:49pm

I usually use one of those screwdriver bit holders that go in a cordless drill. Some times you have to take the masthead fitting off though.

Posted By: sargesail
Date Posted: 26 Jul 14 at 7:56pm

30cm length of rigging wire dipped in epoxy and with thick whipping twine ditpped in to form a loop. Will slide up and down a treat.

Posted By: winging it
Date Posted: 26 Jul 14 at 8:37pm

I have used a long piece of rigging wire going all the way down, opening the jib sheave box if need be, really quick and easy.

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the same, but different...

Posted By: craiggo
Date Posted: 27 Jul 14 at 11:19am

A length of whipping twine with a couple of M3 nuts on the end has always worked for me.

Posted By: RichTea
Date Posted: 27 Jul 14 at 8:57pm

Speak to Andrew - dinghy-rope.co.uk if you need any twine or a new halyard.

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RS200

Posted By: Rupert
Date Posted: 27 Jul 14 at 9:16pm

I use net curtain wire. Perfect.

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Firefly 2324, Puffin 229, Minisail 3446 Mirror 70686

Posted By: dohertpk
Date Posted: 30 Jul 14 at 12:24am

Apologies for the delay in my response and thanks for all the posts. I'm still a little unclear as to the method. Why do I need fishing line or similar?

Posted By: JimC
Date Posted: 30 Jul 14 at 1:23am

You're unlikely to succeed in threading normal halyard rope down the mast, no matter what you do. So you need something that will thread more easily. Favourite choices tend to be either very thin and flexible with the aid if weights and gravity, or something a little more rigid that can be pushed through.

Posted By: patj
Date Posted: 30 Jul 14 at 5:52am

I'm told the technical term, from long before computers, is a "mouse" - a weight on a light line for pulling a bigger line through - used for re-cording sash windows hence OH keeps one in the toolbox.
Those split shot fishing weights are good too as they squeeze onto the line.

Posted By: dohertpk
Date Posted: 30 Jul 14 at 11:51am

OK I think I've got it. One final thing; the hole in my mast where the main line emerges is pretty tiny. I'm struggling to think of a weight I could use that would fit through it. Any suggestions?

Posted By: Roger
Date Posted: 30 Jul 14 at 12:08pm

Originally posted by dohertpk

OK I think I've got it. One final thing; the hole in my mast where the main line emerges is pretty tiny. I'm struggling to think of a weight I could use that would fit through it. Any suggestions?

One of the old favorites was always a length of low diameter, metal chain, usually borrowed from the bath plug!!
It's got weight, low diameter and it's flexible which just about ticks all the boxes.

Posted By: Rupert
Date Posted: 30 Jul 14 at 12:09pm

And a hook made from a paperclip to fish it out with.

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Firefly 2324, Puffin 229, Minisail 3446 Mirror 70686

Posted By: rogerd
Date Posted: 30 Jul 14 at 3:15pm

My favourite is thebath chain with whpping line. One thing that no one has pointed out is that if you have other halyards already in there pull them tight or you risk having a nice big twist in there which will only show itself when you have it all rigged and afloat and the kite wont come down without easing the rig tension.

Bitter experience

Posted By: dohertpk
Date Posted: 30 Jul 14 at 3:19pm

Thanks for that; the 600 just has a lonely mainsail so no other halyards to worry about mercifully

Posted By: Noah
Date Posted: 30 Jul 14 at 3:26pm

+1 to Roger's suggestion.

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Nick
D-Zero 316

Posted By: Time Lord
Date Posted: 30 Jul 14 at 4:24pm

Quote: OK I think I've got it. One final thing; the hole in my mast where the main line emerges is pretty tiny. I'm struggling to think of a weight I could use that would fit through it. Any suggestions?

Use a piece of wire through the hole to hook the line dropped down the mast - do not attempt to pull the weight through the small hole - just a loop of the line. Attach this loop to the end of the halyard using a nail knot or similar then feed the end of the new halyard back through the hole while someone pulls gently on the line back up the mast.

You'll probably need to remove the pulley at the top of the mast to give you room to pull the new halyard through but don't forget to thread it through the removed pulley before replacing it in the mast!

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Merlin Rocket 3609

Posted By: Time Lord
Date Posted: 30 Jul 14 at 4:38pm

PS: I always use monofilament fishing line, partly as I have suitable line on a multiplier reel that makes things easier to pull off line without getting twist in it and also as 25lb+ mono is fairly stiff. When I have used whipping twine I have found it very limp and more inclined to catch on things inside the mast.

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Merlin Rocket 3609

Posted By: craiggo
Date Posted: 31 Jul 14 at 7:00pm

On a 600, remove the masthead sheave, turn the mast upside down and thread the mouse line in through the little exit hole. It should slide straight down and out the end. Tie the end which is left sticking out of the small hole to your halyard and poke it through then pull the mouse line from the masthead. Thread the halyard through the mast had fitting and reattach it then untie the mouse line and put your mast back up. On a 600 it's a ten minute job.

Posted By: dohertpk
Date Posted: 01 Aug 14 at 12:20am

Job done. Dead easy following craiggo's method. Thanks all!