Broken Genoa Halyard

1970Columbia34 · #1 (**permalink**) 04-23-2007

Well our first sail went great this past weekend and it went great tell... I noticed the Genoa halyard was slack so I went fwd to tighten it and did not even pull on it hard and down it came. The sail was already furled on the roller. Right now the halyard is 39' of 3/16" cable on the sail end and 43' of1/2" line on the hoist end. They are no spiced together just a eye loop on the cable and the 2 tied together. I am new at this but could I just switch to all line? Whats the purpose of the cable?

Now the main halyard is still there and its all 3/16" cable and there is a cable style winch at the base of the mast for hoisting. I am going to replace that as well. My question is I am 250 lbs and will that hold me to go up the mast and with the winch is it possible to winch me up there of just get the marina to do it with there crane?

Anyone have a good sources to get new halyards? Thanks.

Scott

sailingdog · #2 (**permalink**) 04-23-2007

Scott-

The first problem with replacing your rigging is that the sheaves at the top of the mast are probably wire sheaves, and as such, not really suitable for rope halyards. I am assuming that you want to go to an all-rope halyard, instead of the current wire-to-rope halyard you have now.

Originally, wire-to-rope halyards were to reduce the amount of stretch in a halyard. However, with high-tech lines, like NE Ropes T-900, which have about the same stretch as wire, it isn't really necessary anymore.

Given, how quickly and unexpectedly the genoa halyard failed, I wouldn't trust the mainsail halyard to safely get you up the mast at this time... they're probably about the same age... and my guess is you don't want to come down like that halyard did...

Lots of good sources for rigging on the web. Are you wanting to get complete halyards, with messenger loop, eye splice and shackles pre-installed, or were you going to get the line and do the splicing and shackling yourself? There's a big price difference between the two.

1970Columbia34 · #3 (**permalink**) 04-23-2007

I am not sure about the sheeves at the top of the mast. I will stick with cable for the main sheet as I don't want to change the winch. So I think from what you are saying that I should stick with line/cable for the broken halyard. I was going to buy the lines with the approiate fittings on them, or do i have to have a bare end for the cable to pass through the sheeve?

Scott

sailingdog · #4 (**permalink**) 04-23-2007

Scott-

You can switch to all-rope halyards, but if the sheave at the top of the mast is v-grooved for wire, rather than u-shaped groove for rope, the rope halyards will wear faster than they would otherwise.

You can buy the ropes with the appropriate fittings on them, but will need to run a messenger line down the mast to pull the line down and out the bottom. Bare ends are much simpler to fit through the sheaves and mast openings.

1970Columbia34 · #5 (**permalink**) 04-23-2007

Yeah I would assume that both are v-grooved since they both use wire. I think you are assuming our halyards travel inside the mast, but the don't they are all external. I am just worried about getting the new halyards with all the fittings on them and not being able to pull them through.

Scott

sailingdog · #6 (**permalink**) 04-23-2007

Ah, in that case, the blocks that you use for the halyards should be really easy to replace...so get a new block and go all-rope.