C&C 1979 Spinnaker Halyard Rigging Question

[backcreeksailor]

When I purchased my boat (1979 C&C 30 MK I) a few years ago the spinnaker halyard had been run outside the mast by a previous owner for reasons unknown even though the mast is clearly designed to have it run inside. It works fine as is and so does the sheave that it passes over at the top of the mast.

Mysteriously, there is also a messenger line run up inside the mast through the vacant lower mast entry hole where the Spin Halyard should be up to the top of the mast and back down again on the outside tied together making a loop.

I know this defies the "if it ain't broke don't fix it mantra"... But what I would like to do is put the Spin Halyard back inside the mast just to keep it from flogging against the side of the mast, so I don't hear that constant "ding ding ding" noise every time I'm out sailing and at the dock on breezy days.

Here's my question:

If the sheave at the top of the mast is working. And I can use the existing messenger that's inside the mast now to feed the bitter end up to the top of the mast and then back down inside where I want it. What pitfalls could I encounter while doing this?

- Could there have been any "good" reason to have run the Spin Halyard outside the mast in the first place, like something inside the mast being amiss?

- Are there any internal guides inside the mast that the halyard could get snagged on or is the mast just a big open hollow tube inside?

- Is there any likelihood that the messenger that's currently in the mast isn't run into the right hole at the top of the mast or through the correct internal path?

Any experienced rigger suggestions would be greatly appreciated !

[mgiguere]

You have a great boat there...C&C was a design I have always liked. Having roved halyards inside the mast on our 1967 S&S 37, we discovered there could be complications because often there is a lot of other stuff in the mast..electrical wires, other halyards, etc. If you do connect the bitter end to the messenger line, don't just tie it; tape it so a bitter end won't end up fouling on something on the way down. Good luck.

[RobGallagher]

I think it's set up like that on purpose.

The spinnaker halyard needs to be run through a block on a swivel. It should not be run through the internal sheaves at the top of the mast. The spinnaker halyard will get jerked around pretty good if you are flying a symmetrical out on a pole. Running it over the fixed sheaves at the top of the mast would risk some nasty chafe on the halyard.

Odd are you have two sheaves at the top and those are both for jib halyards.

Rob G.
'72 C&C 30 MKI

[backcreeksailor]

Originally Posted by RobGallagher

I think it's set up like that on purpose.

The spinnaker halyard needs to be run through a block on a swivel. It should not be run through the internal sheaves at the top of the mast. The spinnaker halyard will get jerked around pretty good if you are flying a symmetrical out on a pole. Running it over the fixed sheaves at the top of the mast would risk some nasty chafe on the halyard.

Odd are you have two sheaves at the top and those are both for jib halyards.

Rob G.
'72 C&C 30 MKI

I "assumed" this halyard was for the spinnaker, because the previous owner implied that's what she occasionally used it for, (I've never flown the spinnaker because I always single hand the boat). I'll double check with my binoculars, but I'm almost positive it's on a fixed sheave not a swivel.

This may very well be the Jib Halyard because the boat is equipped with a CDI flexible furling system that uses it's own internal halyard not the boat's original jib halyard.

So if it "is" the original Jib Halyard and not a spinnaker halyard, my question would still be, is there a lot of risk involved in trying to get it back inside the mast? And since you appear to be a C&C 30 owner yourself, is your jib halyard rigged inside or outside your mast?

[RobGallagher]

I have two internal jib halyards and one internal main halyard. I also have an external spinnaker halyard.

There are two deck winches, one on either side of the mast where the internal jib halyards exit the mast on either side.

There is one winch mounted on the side of the mast, about four feet up from the deck and the main halyard exits the side of the mast near the winch.

The spinnaker halyard runs through a block at the top of the mast, just forward and comes down throw an "external sheave" (probably a name for it, but I can't remember) and then to a jam cleat.

Hope this helps.

Also... You might try looking on Yacht world for some photos of deck hardware on similar year C&C 30's. Sometimes they have decent close ups.

[blt2ski]

Do you have a loop at the top of the mast going forward of the forestay? along with an opening a bit below the top of the mast? if so, this sounds like my boat to a degree, in that I do have 2 "JIB" halyards, along with a spin halyard that goes from a sheave at the loop at the top, down about 2'ish to 3' below the top of the mast centered down to the bottom of the mast.

Marty

[backcreeksailor]

Unfortunately, I've never seen the top of my mast close up, so I can't specifically comment on the complete configuration. And I haven't turned up any close up pictures of the top of a C&C 30 Mk I mast anywhere online. But like I said, I'll go back with this info and see what I can see with my binoculars from down below.

Sounds like minimally I should have 2 fixed Jib sheaves up there and a swivel block (or someplace to attach one), for the spinnaker.

[backcreeksailor]

Originally Posted by RobGallagher

I have two internal jib halyards and one internal main halyard. I also have an external spinnaker halyard.

There are two deck winches, one on either side of the mast where the internal jib halyards exit the mast on either side.

There is one winch mounted on the side of the mast, about four feet up from the deck and the main halyard exits the side of the mast near the winch.

The spinnaker halyard runs through a block at the top of the mast, just forward and comes down throw an "external sheave" (probably a name for it, but I can't remember) and then to a jam cleat.

At some point in my boat's past, the original barient 10 dorade box winches were moved to the top of the companion way for easier cockpit access. (I don't think mine ever had a mast mounted winch). The main halyard comes back to the starboard companion way winch. The jib and jib #2 (or spin halyard) both come back to the port companion way winch.

This is probably a newbie question, but why would a 30' boat with a single forestay need "2" Jib Halyards?

And regarding your spinnaker swivel block... Is this set out on a crane mount forward of the forestay? Or is it just up there between the 2 jib sheaves on your mast.

[RobGallagher]

Originally Posted by backcreeksailor

At some point in my boat's past, the original barient 10 dorade box winches were moved to the top of the companion way for easier cockpit access. (I don't think mine ever had a mast mounted winch). The main halyard comes back to the starboard companion way winch. The jib and jib #2 (or spin halyard) both come back to the port companion way winch.

This is probably a newbie question, but why would a 30' boat with a single forestay need "2" Jib Halyards?

And regarding your spinnaker swivel block... Is this set out on a crane mount forward of the forestay? Or is it just up there between the 2 jib sheaves on your mast.

The boat has two jib halyards because people who race them have double luff grooves in the "tuff luff" or roller furling. This allows them to raise a second head sail before lowering the first one.

As to your second question, I can't recall exactly. I don't think mine is on a crane, but, I think the mast cap is over sized and it hangs off the front of the mast cap just forward of the mast (if that makes sense, sorry, hard to describe).

[blt2ski]

Even IF you are a cruiser, or day sailor, having two jib halyards is nice. I was doing granted this day a to and from DH race with spouse, when the halyard clip let loose, and down came the jib. So I pulled it up with the other, got to the marina we were racing too, climbed the mast, and pulled the halyard down in the marina. So 2 jib/headsail halyards can be good to have for more than just racing with twin headsail luffs as I have now, at the above time, I was hanked on!

You probably need to take some binoculars or at least a high power telehoto camera lens, and look at the top to see if you have any of the items Rob and I have talked about. Then you will know what you need to do. There is more than one way to run a spin line, reality is, most are similar, with a twist. Now to figure out which Twist you need to do.

Marty