halyard swap????

[gaskicwsr]

has anyone replaced the wire/rope halyard with any of the new all rope halyards? if so any problems? also does anyone know the size grove etc for the main halyard on a 8.3 columbia?

thanks
cw sr

[knotaloud]

You can replace the wire halyard with all rope; lots of people do it and nothing really ever seems to come from it. Worse case, the rope might wear a little faster, because the pulley is too small, but probably not noticeably. Make sure you use a VERY low stretch line, (like StaSet X or T-900), as halyard stretching is not a good thing.

[badsneakers]

Hey I just noticed this post and was wondering if you did replace the halyard, how'd you do it? Is it necessary to go aloft and change it or can you just secure it to the old one and pull it through? Also what's the correct length to use.

Thanks

[Gary M]

Since you probably have a shackle splice to the end of both old and new halyards you cannot really just pull the new one in with the old. You need to use a light line, maybe 1/4" and secure it to the tail of the old halyard and then pull the old halyard out.
Once that is done you can measure the old halyard and you will know what length you need. Make sure you are happy with the length of the old one and a couple of extra feet never hurt.

You can likely secure the messenger line and halyard with duct tape however if you want to be really sure stitch them.

Good Luck
Gary

[badsneakers]

AAAH! Well that's makes sense! And it sounds easy.

Thanks for the tip!

[NOLAsailing]

Be sure to check the condition of the sheaves, in addition to making sure they're the proper size. If the wire had any defects, it can cause grooves and flatspots in the sheaves that will wear through a brand new halyard very quickly. The photo below shows a couple flatspots that would ruin a halyard before too many hoists:

[patn44]

I did the switch last year when I had the rig replaced, all new wire shrouds, roller furling and the rope halyards. Love it all. Didn't have to change the sheves as the new rope is "stronger than wire" and about the same diameter. Check with a rigger as they have the kind of rope needed. Would rec the roller furling as the most important change I've made to the boat. No more struggling with the genoa and bag on the foredeck.

[NOLAsailing]

Didn't have to change the sheves as the new rope is "stronger than wire" and about the same diameter.

Whether or not you change the sheaves is not a function of whether or not the rope is stronger than the old wire halyard. Instead, it's determined by the condition of the sheaves, as mentioned above. The wire, while not necessarily stronger, is more abrasive and can create rough edges on the sheaves. Those rough edges can really damage new halyards. Trust me, check your sheaves before replacing the halyards.

[Columbia9_6]

Also the actual shap of the groove in the sheeve is different between the older sheeves that accepted wire rope only. I replaced my wire rope halyard with a high-tech synthetic rope. At the same time, I replaced the old metal sheeves with delrin sheeves designed to accept either wire or synthetic rope. If in doubt, I would contact Hall Spars and Rigging. Nan Hall was extremely helpful and ensuresd I had exactly the right parts for my boat.