Rethreading a halyard.
Printed From: Yachts and Yachting Online
Category: Dinghy classes
Forum Name: Technique
Forum Discription: 'How to' section for dinghy questions and answers
URL: http://www.yachtsandyachting.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=7620
Printed Date: 25 Jun 25 at 1:54pm
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Topic: Rethreading a halyard.
Posted By: Mister Nick
Subject: Rethreading a halyard.
Date Posted: 05 Mar 11 at 6:47pm
| Today I somehow managed to loose the end of my spinnaker halyard into the mast. Basically the end of the halyard got caught whilst raising the mast and pulled the end that you would use to pull the spinnaker up out of it's block at the bottom of the mast. Any ideas about how I can get the halyard back down so it's usable again? I'm fine with having to take the halyard out completely and starting from scratch, I just need a solution ASAP. Thanks guys :) |
Replies:
Posted By: JimC
Date Posted: 05 Mar 11 at 7:00pm
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The standard solution is fishing line and lead weights, but I always find that a hassle. The easiest thing I've ever found is a large reel of multicore solder which is thin flexible and heavy, but isn't readily available. Fencing wire is often good. If you're really lucky and have a stiffish braided rope you might just be able to slide it down.
Its easiest if you take the mast off the boat. Tie up all the other halyards as tightly as possible to reduce the chance of getting the kite hayard wound round them. The perfect place to do this is the steeply angled side of a raised reservoir which is a really good angle to let the rope slide. Failing that work from the garage/clubhouse roof. |
Posted By: Mister Nick
Date Posted: 05 Mar 11 at 7:06pm
The fencing wire thing sounds good, I'll give that a go tomorrow morning. If I don't fix it I can't race tomorow, so I hope it works :L
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Posted By: AlexM
Date Posted: 05 Mar 11 at 7:27pm
a lot of wiggling of mast helps  ------------- |
Posted By: rogerd
Date Posted: 05 Mar 11 at 7:49pm
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Best way I havefound is about a metre of bathroom chain(the type which looks like lots of little balls) and some whipping twine. It slides down a treat and doesnt snag.
Re threaded a blokes GP on the beach one day in about ten minutes. Think I saved a domestic as the kids were all waiting to go sailing and the Mrs didnt look impressed that it wasnt ready.
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Posted By: Inland sea
Date Posted: 05 Mar 11 at 8:18pm
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Not forgetting the hose trick ... Insert string with nuts / washers tied on from the top of the club balcony / garage roof / upstairs bedroom window ... then pop the hose in the same hole ... string gets wet and sticks to the lower side if the mast and the running water helps drive the washers/ nuts down ... never fails, unless its freezing of course  ------------- RS300 426 18' SkiffTango Musto 051 B14 644 |
Posted By: Matt Jackson
Date Posted: 05 Mar 11 at 8:21pm
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Tried lots of different weights in the past but in the end discovered that most ropes have enough weight on their own as long as you get the mast angled enough and feed the rope in from the top. This means you don't have any hardware inside the mast to get snagged or requiring retrieval. You do need to pull all the other halyards tight first though to stop them getting snagged or twisted. ------------- Laser 203001, Harrier (H+) 36 |
Posted By: Noah
Date Posted: 05 Mar 11 at 8:56pm
+1 Toolbox always has the chain in it... ------------- Nick D-Zero 316 |
Posted By: Mister Nick
Date Posted: 05 Mar 11 at 11:17pm
| The boats at the sailing club now so a hose isn't really available. I'll try the bathroom chain, the wire and I'll try just pushing the rope down too. |
Posted By: alstorer
Date Posted: 06 Mar 11 at 8:54am
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enlist help. It's a lot easier as a two person job.
------------- -_ Al |
Posted By: Mister Nick
Date Posted: 06 Mar 11 at 5:41pm
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Managed to do it today :) We pulled the halyard out completely, took off the foot of the mast and the sheave for the halyard and tied some nuts onto the end and dropped it back down the hole where the sheave was. We had to jiggle it about quite a lot but we got it in the end :) Thanks for your help guys!
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