controlling main halyard

[markxengineerin]

Most of my halyards are internal, but the main is not. When it becomes slack during various sail handling activities, the section leading from mast step to mast top (then the rest goes back down to the head of sail) can wrap behind the radar bracket, lights, stored pole, etc. I often don't notice until later when I'm sailing- no harm no foul- but someday it's going to cause a problem at the worst possible time.

I'm thinking of using G-flex to glue a 1' or so section of D shaped conduit to the mast, about halfway up, and run the halyard thru it to mitigate this issue. I would deburr the ends.

Another idea is to use a pad eye (or several at different heights), which is nice and smooth, but I think the extra surface area of the D conduit would promote better long term sticking.

Another option is 3M ultra hi bond double sided tape. People use it to keep solar panels on the top of RV's, so I think (?) it would take the sunlight and forces for many years.

I prefer to avoid screwing anything more stuff into the mast, I have done enough of that and each time it adds the possibility of chafe, cracks, or other problems.

Why don't masts come this way to begin with, is there no need for most people?

Thanks for any related ideas!

[Lee Jerry]

How big is the boat? On larger boats, I'm used to main and jib halyards being internal, spinnaker external or internal.

How much prebend (and maybe rake) is in the mast? Anything off of straight will put load into whatever the halyard goes through, pulling away from the mast.

Pop rivets. Can come in aluminum (so no dissimilar metal issue) and leave a relatively smooth finish.

[markxengineerin]

37' boat, with minimal bend or rake, almost a straight shot. The component of force away from the guide will be very very small. Pop rivets are an option too, thanks.

[thinwater]

Maybe fairleads instead of eyes. You should need very few.

[markxengineerin]

It turned out it was easy to screw one fairlead to the radar bracket, and tape another to a line clutch. It will be interesting to see if the tape one survives, but there shouldn't ever be any load on it. Surely it will pull off if I miss seeing a tangle and it gets pulled at an angle, but if it's doing it's job, the tangles should be few and far between. Thanks for ideas.