I hate Feva main halyards. They always seem to slip and are difficult for users to get into the cleat. Often users go out with them tied around some other bit of the boat because they have given up.

What is the best sort of halyard to buy? Are there any ways of making it all easier. I'll fit some new cleats anyway, they are 6 yrs old.

Yes, good idea, we'll go with that.

Thanks

I tend to "stack" two open clamcleats inline one above the other on my boats so that if one slips the other will catch it. You could try this at the top of the masts on the club boats.

These things do have a life and you don't see boats pf photos of Fevas racing with their mainsails drooping. So while I agree its an awkward arrangement this seems more likely to be a wear rather than a design issue.

If you do decide to stick with the mast head cleat I've found the type of rope has a much bigger impact than I realised.  On the aero (which has a much more powerful Cunningham than the feva) I've switched to Marlow Excel R8, and eliminated all slipping in the cleat. It's quite a rough texture on the outer so I wouldn't use it for a control line I have to handle regularly but works well for the halyard.  (No affiliation to Marlow, just found a product that works) 

As a cheaper option for club boats, you may find good old fashioned 3 strand will grip well in the cleat and as the cleat is mast head rope stretch shouldn't be much of an issue as the rope run is short.

Thanks Moomin, that's useful info.

Basic problenm for us with the Feva is that it is the only boat we have with a masthead halyard lock/cleat; so when our many casual users rig them they don't see the masthead cleat and tend to use the down haul cleat as it's obviously in the right place isn't it?

So we have one boat that is borrowed for competitions which I'll leave as standard and replace the halyard and the other two I'll add lower cleats and a loop to keep the halyard very close to the mast at hounds level.

Riv