How to retrieve a halyard from masthead???

[gwp]

Never mind about how it happened....but aside from a boson''s chair or dropping the mast, does anyone know any tricks on how to get a wire halyard from the masthead? It''s a 25 O''day tall rig (~31ft). I was thinking about sliding a 20ft. length of 1" PVC over the other end of the wire halyard and then attaching a very stiff steel wire to the end of the halyard and try to push the wire thru the pipe allowing the other end of the halyard to begin coming down. Surely some of you have had this happen and there are some inovative methods of accomplishing this. Thanks for any ideas.....Gary

[Jeff_H]

I once pulled up along side a bridge and grabbed the halyard with a boat hook. Another time, I rafted my 25 footer up to a friend''s forty footer, pulled the mast over with the jib halyard and grabbed the main halyard. I doubt that you can make your PVC boat hook idea work but who knows until you try it.

Good luck.

Jeff

[pirateofcapeann]

Jeff has probably given you the best ideas but if neither are practical, try looking over the situation through your binoculars. Make a strong wire hook and attach it to the top section of 4 - 10 foot pieces of 1-inch PVC pipe and try running it up, tying it periodically to the headstay. It may require a few shots to adjust the hook properly but using your binoculars, you may be able to hook on to your halyard and haul it down.

[BigRed56]

Ahoy unlucky , wot''s the bosums chair for but just such an emergency, any nit wit youngin will love to be run up the mast. Why just the other day I sent me three year old up to polish me fittings at the mast head. She loved every minute of it after the crying and hysterics gave way to the sound reasoning that until she was done I wasn''t lettin her down. See how easy that was? Pirate of Pine Island

[DonFoley]

A 10'' ladder strapped down, hugging the mast while standing on top of it and a telecoping boathook should do the trick.

Been there, done that.

[hamiam]

buy a mast ladder

[viking72]

Rigging tape, 2 bent forks, the tail of another halyard, make a light grappling hook.
then bring down your wayward halyard.
Attacht the forks to the spare halyard with the tape, secure the halyard with the lazy end, and snare the shackle and bring it back down.Later,Doug

[jbarros]

Find some half wit in his teens or 20''s (like me) who can shimmy the mast with not but his hands and feet to steady him. As long as they make it successfully, alls well. If they dont, drop them by the bottom of some sea cliffs before they remember what happened, and your insurance will be fine

-- James

[gwp]

Got that sucker down!!! I think it was Doug who had the winning idea. I attached a fish tape (stiff wire used for pulling elec wire thru conduit) with a hook bent in it. Taped the hook to the tail of my jib halyard because it runs right alongside the main halyard (oday 25). Pulled the hook up alongside the shackle and snared it. The fish tape wire is stiff enough to twist the hook from the deck to help hook the shackle. Thanks to all for the help....Gary