Corrosion Aloft

[Sky Pilot]

Greeting all, I have both halyard sheaves on my main mast frozen from years of sitting on mooring and not being used, I need to get them freed up. I am planning to get up there with the "mast climber" that doesn't require a working halyard, I'm looking for suggestions on what tools I should take up for this task. any advise would be greatly appreciated. Thank you

[Sea Dreaming]

Originally Posted by Sky Pilot

Greeting all, I have both halyard sheaves on my main mast frozen from years of sitting on mooring and not being used, I need to get them freed up. I am planning to get up there with the "mast climber" that doesn't require a working halyard, I'm looking for suggestions on what tools I should take up for this task. any advise would be greatly appreciated. Thank you

I would think it would be better to pull the mast. There must be much more going on and the halyard is just the start. Better to pull it and do a full inspection so you can fix it all. Just one opinion of course!

[SailFastTri]

Two words: Replace parts.


If they're seized you need to take it apart and look at the sheave pin to see how badly it's corroded. This is all best done with the mast down on horizontal supports.

[roverhi]

You'll need to drive out the axle for the sheaves. Will want a piece of hard wood, bronze or plastic drift so you don't damage whatever the axle is. The axle is probably a piece of tubing so be careful. The axle may be held in with a flap of metal that is captured by a tapped SS fastener screwed into the mast. A battery powered impact driver with assortment of bits will make that job easier. Penetrating oil, lots of it. If there is no plastic involved, a propane torch might come in handy to loosen things up. Have fun, you may be up there for awhile.

If things are well seized, you may end up having to pull the stick.

[Jim Cate]

A lot depends on just how badly frozen they are. Sometimes simply using a penetrating lubricant and turning the sheave with large channel-lock type pliers will free them up. This is something you can do at the masthead.

If they are badly corroded, with corrosion products jamming both the bearing and the sides of the sheaves, it will be nearly impossible to free them with the mast standing. Further, driving out the axle while you are hanging from a bosun's chair is bloody hard to do. You will need to have some means of supporting your weight without loading the sheaves to do so... and be sure to have some means of catching the sheave when the axle suddenly pops out... otherwise (in many sheave boxes) it can fall all the way to the bottom of the mast tube.

In my experience, any but the first technique is best done with the mast off the boat.

Jim

[westwinds]

Getting sails up and down should be a safety issue. I have skimped on doing things right on a variety of mechanical things. About half the time or more I wish I had done it right as it came back again. You could also check the radio coax cable and electrical wiring if there is any. I would at least put coax and antenna an mast if not there as communication is much better. VHF radio is line of sight and who knows when you might want to reach out there 25 miles

[neilpride]

If they are not plastic the trick is a small propane torch and PB Blaster...

[Steve Bean]

Take a hand line up with you so you can have your assistant send up more tools on request.

[zeehag]

iff you have a halyard not frozen, be gentle,. you donot know age of rig. could be an issue. your best move is to step(drop) mast and work on it down.
if you decide to go up, take a nylon stocking with you to test your rigging. barbs will cause nylon to snag. snag means new rigging. and donot forget the tangs and chainplates as you go.
you may be better off to drop it and rerig while it is down.

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by Steve Bean

Take a hand line up with you so you can have your assistant send up more tools on request.

Exactly!
A bucket & rope.

[UNCIVILIZED]

A few noted folks recommend drilling & tapping (metal) sheaves so that you can screw in a small bolt, & attach a keeper line to it, so that it doesn't get donated to Neptune when you're trying to remove it.

[Sky Pilot]

Thank you everyone for the very helpful responses. Ive got some decisions to make. Dropping the mast is the best one for sure but the guy who I want to replace the rigging is in San diego and I wanted to sail down there from long beach to have it done. Maybe not the best Idea. Thanks ALL