I,ve made a serious (very embarassing) rookie mistake when I installed my re-stitched genoa and the halyard snapped at the top of the mast. I do not know if there's any remnants of the halyard stiking out of the top of the mast.
How do I restring the halyard up through the mast without taking the mast down?
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James J, C36 MK I, Hull 537
James,
If the halyard is sticking out of the top of the mast, you can pull a new halyard through by making an eye with the core removed at the bottom end of the old halyard and attaching a rat line and then pulling the new halyard through with a similar eye. Otherwise I've used a 50 ft wire snake to install new wires in my C30 mast. You can also get a 100 ft wire snake but you will probably still need to go to the top to feed the line over the proper sheave. You may be able to rent the snake.
John I--
s/v Pooka
C36 TR hull # 1339
John & Kathy Impagliazzo
s/v Pooka
Jamestown, RI
1994 C36 TR #1339, M35AC
Easy to do and I have done this to add halyards to my mast a couple of time already. Get a messenger line (string) about 90 - 100 ft long. Slide a dozen small (1/4" or less) nuts on the end and tie stopper knots to hold them at the end of the messenger.
Go up the mast, push the washer section over the sheave, and feed line down the mast. Have someone at the bottom fish the messenger line out of the proper mast exit using a bent piece of coat hanger or wire. (This is why you use a small string, it is much easier to fish out than a large rope). Be careful not to let the string 'jump' the sheave at the top of the mast.
Once the messenger is rigged, you just stitch or tape the new halyard to it and pull it through. Took me less than 10 minutes last time.
Jason V
Vancouver, BC, Canada