Association Forum - Has anyone replaced halyards with the mast up ?

Assn Members Area · Join

Home.

Association Forum

Ships Store

Cruising

Racing

Technical Tips

Photo Gallery - New

Boat Search - Updated

Manuals & Brochures

Swap Meet

Links

Officer Flag Line & Staff

Bylaws & Constitution

Members Area

Join the Association

Notice:
The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.

Association Forum

Username:	Password:
Save Password
Forgot your Password?

All Forums

Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

Catalina 25 Specific Forum

Has anyone replaced halyards with the mast up ?

New Topic

Topic Locked

Printer Friendly

Author

Topic

SKS
Navigator

Member Avatar

USA
161 Posts

Initially Posted - 07/19/2016 : 18:18:52

Both my main and jib halyard are fairly used.
I want to replace them.
I have the all rope halyards mounted internal to the mast.
I was thinking of sewing the end of the new halyard to the old one and just pulling it through.
Seems like a simple technique, I was wondering if it is really as simple as it sounds.
Thoughts anyone ?

"Lady E" 1986 Catalina 25: Fin Keel, Standard Rig, Inboard M12 Diesel, Sail No. 5339
Sailing out of Norwalk Cove Marina, Connecticut

OJ
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
4382 Posts

Response Posted - 07/19/2016 : 18:28:42

Simple in principle . . . sewing end-to-end is pretty surefire. I'd be reluctant to use tape because of the increasing amount of weight as you pull the new halyard up the mast.

Beware of wires that go to the steaming light (perhaps you have a conduit) + the hardware that connects to the spreaders.

What diameter lines are you running?

1989 C25 TR/WK, #5822
1973 McVay Minuet 19
1975 Jester 12
1981 C25 SR/SK, #2428
1981 C22 SR/SK,
Tanzer 16
Sunfish

"There is nothing, absolutely nothing half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats." Kenneth Grahame

Edited by - OJ on 07/19/2016 18:29:37

Steve Milby
Past Commodore

Members Avatar

USA
5851 Posts

Response Posted - 07/19/2016 : 18:36:27

That's the way to do it. If you need to measure the old line, you can first sew a cheap messenger line to it, pull it through and measure the old line.

Steve Milby J/24 "Captiva Wind"
previously C&C 35, Cal 25, C25 TR/FK, C22
Past Commodore

Lee Panza
Captain

Members Avatar

USA
465 Posts

Response Posted - 07/19/2016 : 18:52:26

Interesting timing; I'll be doing just that this weekend.

I'm planning on doing a simple sewn sheath-within-sheath splice. Remove some core (maybe a foot or so) from both the existing halyard and the new one, and then pull (with a fid) the core-less sheath from the new halyard inside the empty space in the end of the existing one (so the exposed yarn-ends on the outside will be following through the sheaves instead of snagging), and then drop a few stitches of siezing twine through the overlapping sheaths. I'm not intending to use tape, but a turn or two of twine just above the yarn-ends should prevent them from unraveling. Should just take a few minutes to set up. Like OJ says: "Simple in principle."

So, if you want to wait 'till next week I'll let you know if practice matches principle.

The trouble with a destination - any destination, really - is that it interrupts The Journey.

Lee Panza
SR/SK #2134
San Francisco Bay
(Brisbane, CA)

pastmember
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

2402 Posts

Response Posted - 07/21/2016 : 14:32:24

I always butt stitch the lines together with serious thread.

Frank Hopper

Edited by - pastmember on 07/21/2016 14:42:58

Derek Crawford
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
3312 Posts

Response Posted - 07/22/2016 : 07:24:08

I'm with Frank. No need to do any fancy splicing. Just butt-sew and then put a small piece of tape over the stitching to reduce the diameter a little. And pull gently!

Derek Crawford
Chief Measurer C25-250 2008
Previous owner of "This Side UP"
1981 C-25 TR/FK #2262 Used to have an '89 C22 #9483, "Downsized"
San Antonio, Texas

cshaw
Captain

Members Avatar

USA
460 Posts

Response Posted - 07/22/2016 : 07:33:39

The sew and tape is exactly the way I have done it through the years, including the measurement like Steve suggested.

Chuck Shaw
Confetti
Cat 25, hull#1
1976 FK/TR

OJ
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
4382 Posts

Response Posted - 07/22/2016 : 07:52:03

quote:
Originally posted by pastmember

I always butt stitch the lines together with serious thread.

Butt stitch . . . I will add that one to my nautical vocabulary. Is that similar to the Bobbitt weave?

jerlim
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
1484 Posts

Response Posted - 07/23/2016 : 18:59:49

I have used the 'butt stitch' method in the past, as this is an easy pull, and it has always worked well....BUT....I really like the concept of cutting out the core and overlapping the old external jacket over the new, with a few security stitches...kinda like the basket grips for pulling electrical wiring - would totally do that when replacing the halyard on the roller furling.

Jerry

Lee Panza
Captain

Members Avatar

USA
465 Posts

Response Posted - 07/24/2016 : 21:26:13

OK, Steve; the new halyard pulled through very easily. I'd say the splice wasn't really necessary, but I didn't want to take the chance. I have a lot of lines and cables in my mast, and I didn't want to take any chance on losing an end in there. I was particularly concerned about the connection making it through the sheaves on top. The splice took seven minutes, and nearly half of that time was the stitching. I would imagine the sewn butt-splice would take at least as long as I spent on the lock stitches and the minimal whipping, so the sheath-within-sheath splice added less than five minutes. Five minutes for the piece of mind that nothing could go wrong. By the way, the splice also went through the exit plates and the clutch without any noticeable resistance. So Steve, go for it! Simple in principle, simple in practice.

The trouble with a destination - any destination, really - is that it interrupts The Journey.

Lee Panza
SR/SK #2134
San Francisco Bay
(Brisbane, CA)

SKS
Navigator

Members Avatar

USA
161 Posts

Response Posted - 07/27/2016 : 14:45:52

quote:
Originally posted by Lee Panza

Interesting timing; I'll be doing just that this weekend.

I'm planning on doing a simple sewn sheath-within-sheath splice. Remove some core (maybe a foot or so) from both the existing halyard and the new one, and then pull (with a fid) the core-less sheath from the new halyard inside the empty space in the end of the existing one (so the exposed yarn-ends on the outside will be following through the sheaves instead of snagging), and then drop a few stitches of siezing twine through the overlapping sheaths. I'm not intending to use tape, but a turn or two of twine just above the yarn-ends should prevent them from unraveling. Should just take a few minutes to set up. Like OJ says: "Simple in principle."

So, if you want to wait 'till next week I'll let you know if practice matches principle.

I tried the rest, this worked the best.
Took the core out for a foot or so on each rope to guide around the turns.
Nice technique, with little loss of the replaced rope.
Unfortunately, this whole procedure took better than an hour. I tried a couple of different butt splice techniques before removing the core. otherwise it would have taken about 15 minutes or less.

"Lady E" 1986 Catalina 25: Fin Keel, Standard Rig, Inboard M12 Diesel, Sail No. 5339
Sailing out of Norwalk Cove Marina, Connecticut

Edited by - SKS on 07/27/2016 17:11:12

Topic

New Topic

Topic Locked

Printer Friendly

Jump To:

Association Forum

Notice: The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.