How to Get Aloft to unwrap a double halyard wrap?

[OldColumbia]

Dear Learned Colleagues,

In an exuberant show of patriotism on the 4th just past, I rigged two flags from the wire main halyard of my Columbia 36 joined by a "D" ring shackle between the bottom and top grommets of the flags with a spinnaker sheet securing the bottom grommet of the lower flag to the coach roof hand rail such that they flew mid way between the mast and the topping lift.
Another flag was flown about midway ( approximately spreader height) on the jib halyard with a down haul secured to the jib tack.Since we were in the slip and not underway, to be courteous to our dock mates, I secured the jib halyard tail to the port lifelines to keep it outboard of the mast to prevent it from slapping in the 10-15 kt. breeze.It's a rope to wire halyard.
Longer story short, the "D" ring fails, the top aft flag rises,wraps the jib halyard and then jams at the masthead sheaves. The flag then proceeds to wrap further around both halyards freezing both.
I don't have mast steps and wonder how would one go aloft, short of shinnying up the mast, without a halyard for a bosun's chair or to raise a sailtrack climber?
Standing Rig? Boatyard Man Lift? Power to a bridge at low tide? Hire a mechanically inclined monkey and give him a down haul to carry?
Any suggestions welcomed.

[celenoglu]

Do you have a topping lift?

[OldColumbia]

Yes, but it's a fixed length coated 3/16 7x19 and I'm about 215Lbs. My bosun's chair is about another 15 lbs. I wouldn't like to be and shorter than I am now with broken ankles.

[sailingfool]

You could try rafting to a smilar size boat...get hoisted up their mast to where you can reach the mess you have...I gues a question would be whether you can untangle things from a few feet away...

[OldColumbia]

Thanks to all for the suggestions.
I've got a tabernacle mast, but lowering the stick in a crowded marina (i.e. across the dock and potentially onto someone else's boat isn't appealing) or turning the boat around and lowering it into the fairway with it still about 7 to 10 feet off the water would only work if another boat with about that freeboard could manuver close enough to the masthead.

[sailingtime]

is your yard equipped to pull your stick without hauling the boat? It may not be the cheapest but it would be the safest. If you haven’t had the mast out for a while it would give you an opportunity to check it out.

[Joesaila]

If you can get safely near a bridge or use the yard crane that may work. I actually used an extension ladder to put a radar up...don't tell anyone! Are you friends w any firefighters? I know these all seem ridiculous...but

[OldColumbia]

Actually the ladder idea doesn't sound bad if it could be secured to the spreaders, held secure at the footing by genoa sheets cleated off the winches, and my offshore harness and tether clipped off on the rungs.....hmm. Then armed with a boat hook we might be able to untangle the Stars & Stripes sufficiently to at least free the jib halyard (which is still reaved and has a downhaul rigged.)

The boatyard I'm certain would love to hoist the mast ( and my wallet) but all they really need to do is carefully lower it forward on the tabernacle while the boat is side tied to the dock. I'll have to ask what the cost is for crane time. A cherry picker that can reach about 35 feet would be easier.

My old boat is like a milk man's horse, you get her near the barn ( a boatyard) and she wants to stay.

Again thank you for your collective wisdom.

[sailortjk1]

Sometimes, the yards will attach a bosun's chair right to their crane and lift you up. It depends on the yard though. With today’s insurance regulations and Osha and yada yada, they may or may not do it. Or they may only lift their own personnel in which case they will be expecting reimbursement. I did this once when I was much much younger.

[CLucas]

Know any tree pruners with a bucket truck? It would cost you far less than pulling the stick (sub-$100 for certain). I'm assuming a truck could get close enough, of course.