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Mast (Climbing)- No Halyards

5K views 9 replies 10 participants last post by  SHNOOL 
#1 ·
Hi all,
Glad to have found this group and am new here. Actually new to the whole
sailing thing.
Purchased our 72 26 MKII in April and had a great summer on it, motored
everywhere since we can not raise the sails because both halyards are done. I
believe the jib block is there but nothing for the main sail. Any ideas on how
to climb the mast?
Wondering if those metal shelf brackets that you can get at home depot would
work if you could somehow use self tapping screws to make a ladder to the top of
the mast? Would it be strong enough? Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.
Also spent the day clearing out all belongings, getting ready for a refit and
look forward to using some of the ideas I have seen in this group.
Thanks

Mike
 
#3 ·
negative on the shelf brackets please. Likely it has an internal main halyard. The jib might go inside below the block as well. Am not familiar with this boat but it might be difficult to reeve new halyards with the rig up and avoid internal wraps and twists. Or the boat might be light and simple enough to pull the mast head to the side at the dock or beach and reeve new halyards with the rig up and you down, perhaps on a stepladder.
 
#4 ·
Bats,
I'd be afraid those shelf brackets would snag something (like my shoulder or face as the boat rolled under me).

Doesn't the MkII have a deck-stepped mast? If so, just drop the mast to do the repairs. You'll be able to more easily inspect the masthead and the sheaves to see if everything looks OK, and to replace what needs it. I used an A-frame to drop the mast on my Catalina 25 with the help of my 60+ year old father and 20-something brother, and quite frankly I could have done it myself after the first time. It really isn't hard.

 
#6 ·
I strongly suggest that if the halyards are shot you need to take the mast down and check everything. Here is a list of work:

Sailing - Reboot (USA 60493): Things to do while the mast is down

Mast steps: They are expensive. No one has really ever (to my knowledge) designed a mast step that does not raise the concern of something snagging at the wrong moment. How many actually snag I don't know.

If you are going to cruise in protected areas I would not go to the trouble or expense. I have them because I frequently go offshore single handing where help can be several days away. For the years I have sailed "socially" and locally I never felt the need. :)

Fair winds and following seas.
 
#7 ·
Seems it would be easy to drop your mast down,But; to climb it get three lenths of 1 inch tubular webbing 6 foot each, tie each in a hoop.(use water knot) Then loop around mast and use as steps that walk up mast. The third loop is your safety and should be attached to a safety belt with a locking carabiner. Once set up just keep moving the loops up the mast. I have painted and restrung flag poles this way. Reverse to come down! Easy to rest on the pole. .....Dale
 
#8 ·
If you have a "stock" Col26 MkII, then you had two outside halyards
with a set of cleats on each side of mast base.
Sheer wear or Someone in the boat's past removed both halyards for whatever reason.
The chances that both wore out at the same time or over time both wore, still brought you here, no halyards. The best fix is to lower the mast and safely perform repairs.
The cheapest fix is to lower the mast manually with a few gumba s and install three external halyards (incl spin). If in fear of an accident whilst lowering the mast, find a sailor(s) that has done it before* and get assistance. I have lowered large masts with two taller sailboats astride and use their two taller masts/halyards to lower yours in between, but on a 26, using the boom & topping lift as a lever to lower it onto the bow pulpit is easy. Have a person stand at aft of the mast to steady boom to remain vertical and the boom forward. It will be fine.
Most expensive route is to buy three halyards, new pins & replacement sheaves. Hire the boatyard to use their "jiffyboom" crane at dockside and have them lower the mast. Make repairs, then they will suspend it again while you reattach the stays and shrouds to the deck chainplates... monkey climbing the mast, even with a bosun chair and trying to knock out 40yr pins, usually sends them into the drink below, then you lose at least one or two sheaves, then you have to go down after having the measurement of sheave and pins, then climb back up, etc....feel free to contact me if you like,
cheers
 
#9 ·
Hey guys, how about "LOWER" the mast, not "drop" the mast? I've seen one drop, and I don't want to see that again. Lowering and raising, OTOH, I've see a number of times.

I wouldn't climb a mast on a 26' boat unless is was EXTREMELY well ballasted and/or guyed to keep from heeling. Look into lowering the rig. Get someone that has been there before, or CAREFULLY think through the changing lead angles and loads that will occur as the mast descends.

"Lake Superior Sailor", yeah, I just did this yesterday. I spent about an hour on my mizzen yesterday, and I'm still sore. When the last halyard is pulled out of the masthead, there's not much alternative, though. Not having spreaders makes this easier. I braced the boat laterally by using the topping lift to hoist a bridle to the masthead and taking the two legs out to the sides.

One problem I had was dealing with the tapered mast; the three loops got longer as I neared the top. Sigh.
 
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