[mitiempo]

I agree, change to all rope halyards. There are many choices for low stretch ropes without going to Dyneema or Amsteel. Amsteel doesn't cleat well and doesn't hold in clutches either. You are better off with a braid - either a good double braid or a braid with core. Any good marine store should have a selection as well as someone experienced to help.You don't say what boat you have - a racer would be fussier than a cruiser and would choose differently than a cruiser.

The balls are not swaged with a hand swager - a rigging shop could do them for you if you want to go that way.

 

[mitiempo]

I am sailing a 14' dinghy. Not a big cruiser. Not sure if the setup is different on larger boats. I have a length of steel rope with a captive pin shackle that attaches to the sail head. At the opposite end there is an eye. I use a length of yacht rope shackled to the eye of the steel wire rope for a downhaul to hoist the sail.

If there is a shackle at the head of the sail and an eye at the other where does the ball fitting go?