Changing Halyard

[Gulfislander]

Hi All,
I am looking at changing the main halyard on my Niagara 31. The halyard is internal. I've never done this before so I'm looking for advice on the best way to change it.

[Gary M]

Generaly you just get a lighter line and attached it at the tail. I use duct tape to join them but sewing it is more secure. Then you pull the business end out from the mast head and the messenger line will follow.

Once you have the old haliyard out detach the messenger line and reattach to the tail of the new line. Then pull the messenger line out at the exit in the mast and the new halyard will go up and into the mast head. Once it is through at the exit point you are all done.


PS nice boat.

[SteveSouthwood]

I recently changed my Halyard using a trick I think I saw in Cruising World. The first thing I did was to open out a paperclip so it looked like an elongated S. Then I threaded one end through the end of my old halyard where I had cut off the shackle. The other end of the paperclip was threaded through the far end of my new halyard. I then taped it all up. All I then had to do was pull the new halyard up and through the mast using my old. Worked a treat.

Steve

[Gary M]

That is a good idea but you do not have to cut off your shackle just attach it to the tail. Your new halyard probably has a shackle already on it so you need to work at the other end.

[Quickstep192]

I did mine recently. Both the new halyard and the old halyard were rope halyards, not wire-rope. Also, both were braid on braid lines. On one, I milked back some of the cover and cut off the core. On the other, I cut the cover back. I then shoved the exposed core into the cover of the one that I removed the core. I then sewed them together and put a pies of tape around the frayed part. I then pulled the new halyard in using the old halyard. This was probably overkill, but I REALLY didn't want to lose the halyard on the way through.

[SteveSouthwood]

Originally Posted by Gary M

That is a good idea but you do not have to cut off your shackle just attach it to the tail. Your new halyard probably has a shackle already on it so you need to work at the other end.

I cut off the old shackle so it could be attached to the new halyard. Saved me buying a new one. I'm not (yet) up to doing this myself so the store did it.

[SailorMitch]

If you want to read more than ever care to know about every nuance of this topic, do a search on it. It's been covered in at least two recent threads. I'm an advocate of using duct tape to join the new with the old. works like a charm and has never failed me. Two weeks ago I used that method again to replace the reefing lines in my boom and despite more than expected tension in the process, the tape did the job.

[Gulfislander]

Thanks, I will try the paperclip and duct tape.