Protecting lines from weather

[JoeAntz]

My Ericson is wintering in an industrial area so I want to remove or pull the lines inside my mast so the stay as clean as possible. How can I attach messenger lines to my mast lines so they won't come undone or foul in the masthead sheaves.

If left to my own solution, I would butt a slightly smaller diameter line tied with clove hitches and then tape over. Or is the a better way?

[marianclaire]

I butt the two lines then use SS wire to connect them and a tape cover. The wire bites in better than string and can be twisted tight. Has worked every time so far. Dan S/V Marian Claire

[sailingdog]

You can also sew the two lines together and then tape over the join...

[Boasun]

When changing out old flag halyards; I've long spliced the new and old together and haul the new up with the old hoist (3 strand line). And afterwards I would cut the old ratty hoist off and splice the jewelry to the new.
This is the only time that I have used the long splice. Which is something you can't use if you have solid braid line. Thus you may have to sew or staple the new & old together. So it is the material of your halyards that will force the method of connecting them.

[genieskip]

All my halyards have either a whipping or an eye splice at the end (the end away from the shackle). You can put in (or have put in by a rigger) an eye splice that is made without the core. that kind of eye splice is no larger in diameter than the line and therefore can easily go through blocks. Tie a bowline around the splice or whipping and pull the halyard down and the messenger up. Presto!.

[Sabreman]

I butt the ends of my halyards to an 1/8" nylon messenger line and duct tape the two together with a spiral winding from the halyard to the messenger and back again. I use a strip about 8"x1/2" of good duct tape. This makes for 2 layers. I roll the taping between my palms to smooth the transition. I've also lightly tapered all my halyards at the ends to make the transitions easier. We've only lost lines in the mast twice. Once when I still used masking tape instead of duct tape. The other time was when I was lazy and temporarily taped 2 messenger lines together to make them longer; I forgot to untape them, they got wet, and separated 6 months later. IMO, there is no need to stitch the lines together.

We remove all our running rigging each season and wash the lines in laundry detergent, flaking the rinsed lines in the garage for a week or so to dry. After about 6 years, we end-for-end the lines and get another 6 years out of the lines. Depending on your season, you get about double the life out of your lines (in the Chesapeake, we get about 6 month seasons).

This has been our process for 23 years.......

[waterdog52]

Butt the lines a close as possible. I used 20 pound monofilament fishing line. Clove hitches and and over hand knots and mutliple passes buit a 60-80 pound splice. Tape as need with good duct tape or elelctical tape like scotch brand 33. then pull close to bow or stern as posible to increase the angle the splice enter the and leaves the sheave. good luck

[Sabreman]

I forgot to mention that when pulling lines, do not pull too hard. If they don't run free, then reverse and try again. I learned that lesson the hard way.