lost spinnaker halyard!

[Aeolis]

let me first say that this forum has helped me out so much as a new boat owner. but not its time for me to ask a question.
While stepping the mast of my ranger 22 somehow the spinnaker halyard got snagged and pulled to the point where the one end of the line went up inside the mast, from what i could tell the end of the halyard is at least halfway up inside the mast due to the fact that the splice where it goes from line to wire is about 8 feet off the deck. are there any suggestions on how to retrieve the end of the line, preferably without taking the mast down? right now i have the cable taped and tied off so its out of the way but itd be nice to have use of my spinnaker. if someone can help me id really appriciate it!
thanks in advance

[sailingfool]

I'm surprised that ypou have a wire-rope spinnaker halyard. Spinnaker halyards are subject to a lot of twist at the masthead and I wouldn't think one would want wie subject to such use. Plus it can be very nice to try to jump the wire section of such a halyard. Are you sure its a spinnaker halyard.

Assuming it is, my advice would be to pull out the remainder of the halyard and throw it away. Rreplace it with a new 3/8" all rope halyard, run the halyard externally and the whole thing should work better than whatever you have been using.

[Faster]

Yes, if it's a spinnaker halyard you'll be better off with line over wire.. This sounds like a spare jib halyard. Does it exit under the forestay? If so it's for a jib.

This will be difficult to retrieve without going up the mast. Pull the halyard out, get someone to hoist you up and feed a weighted messenger down the mast and have someone fish it out with a bent wire hook. A short section of bicycle chain works well as the weight - goes over the sheaves quite nicely. Use the light messenger to pull the halyard in again.

If going up the mast is not an option then you'll likely have to drop the rig. (although feeding the messenger is usually easier with the mast up - gravity is your friend) Alternatively if you can find a mast tower you can do it from there. We've used tall piers at low tide, small ferry landings with a minibridge across the top, etc as means of accessing the masthead for a job like this.

[sailingfool]

If as Faster states, the halyard in question is a jib halyard, you should cease using it for flying a spinnaker, or you are likely to have some problems down the road, such as finding you can't get the spinnaker down. Been there, done that.

[Aeolis]

yeah your right, it was the jib halyard that was hanging out. after i pulled it down i found the spinnaker halyard in the mess that the jib created and it was still up(also it was rope btw) so at somepoint i would just need to use the great info i got to put the jib halyard back up. but due to the fact i have one good one and a roller furler im not that worried about it. thank u again!