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I want to convert my halyards to internal halyards. Has anyone done this? What all is required? I have the original 1988 LaFiel mast with external halyards. I would also be interested in hearing from anyone who thinks this is a bad idea. The main reasons I want to do the conversion are noise and the ability to rig a spare halyard.
Whie I do not own a PSC, I have converted my own boat to internal halyards. Its not a big deal, most likely the sheeve box at the top of the mast can support either internal or external. It gets more complicated if you want to lead all those lines aft at the same time. The PSC 34 is deck stepped I think? In which case if you want to lead lines aft you may or may not need to have a deck plate frabricated to mount blocks as fairleads aft, and if you want to make it really clean you will need to cut notches in the base of the mast and mount blocks designed as exit blocks for a mast base. If you want to leave things at the mast it is easier, you just need to cut slots in the mast and buy exit plates. Depending on sheeve box design, you are likely going to double the number of lines you can handle. On the aft side other then your main halyard you can now lead your topping lift internal (anyone who has sailed offshore in a nasty sea knows how unfun it is to mess with topping lift and reefing lines on a boom winch). On the forward side you would now have an extra jib halyard, which will come in handy for many things (a spare, pulling the dinghy on deck, etc..).
Its well worth doing and really not a major project if you are taking the rig down anyway. At the same time you should install a conduit for wiring to keep lines from chafing them. I did this with PVC pipe and pop rivets.
Brian,
Did you ever convert to internal halyards? If so I'm wondering how it worked out for you? Since the mast is down for winter storage, this would be an ideal time to complete the conversion.
Steve
I have not. We had to leave boat life for a few years and are just getting back. I still have not dropped the mast. I am now planning on doing that in the fall.
If the boat's afloat, and you're comfortable in a bosuns chair, it's actually not that hard to do with the mast up.. in fact it's easier to feed the messenger line down the length of the mast with it vertical. Cut the exit slots, go up and remove the 'cross the sheaves' halyard and feed a messenger line with a short length of bicycle chain on the end over the first sheave and down the mast. Have someone with a flashlight and a narrow wire hook watching for it to arrive below, fish it out the new slot and the run the real halyard through. Thread the halyard through the exit slot cover plate or box, whichever you chose, and you're done!
One of the neat things is that now, since you had 2 halyards and 4 sheaves, you've got spare sheaves for a second halyard for both the headsail and main if you want.
Its on my list do in the next couple of months. When the rigging was replaced with Dyneema Dux a few months I had the rigger check what would be involved. He was a bit concerned about the work that be involved in getting thru the plate under the sheaves on the LaFiell mast. Probably something best done with the mast off the boat.
I have decided to pull the mast which will be the first time its been off since the boat was orginally set up. Run the internal halyards, replace the wind instrument cable with a NMEA 2000 cable and perhaps the rest of the wiring (smaller gauge due to LED lights ??) and replace all the lights with LED versions.
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