Halyard chafe on masthead sheave boxes

[LifesBetterWhenYoureBeating]

Hi folks,


My main halyard rubs badly against the sheave box on my mast head every time I sail on a beam/broad reach. I noticed it a while ago and glued pieces of rubber hose on the sheave box edges to try and stop it. Two of them can be seen on the photo; there was a third one in the middle but it fell and as a consequence the cover of my hi-mod halyard was eaten away on a recent trip. (The attached photo was taken with the boom eased for a broad reach)


I'm a bit reluctant to glue another piece of hose there as it's likely to fall again, so I'm wondering what would be a better alternative. I've seen those halyard deflectors/diverters but I don't think I'd be able to fit one there because of the harken track I have on the mast. Is there anything I could use there? Or any way to put some chafe protection on those edges in a way that won't come off?


Thanks in advance,
Guilherme

[neilpride]

With a file you can round the edges, you have some space left on the track to raise more sail, although it will be at its limit, that would help as well.

[thinwater]

Is the halyard spliced to the shackle? Cut off a foot of rope and tie the halyard to the sail with a bowline. That will get rid of the chafed area in seconds. Every time it chafes, move the knot 3 inches.



Treat the last foot of rope with Yale Maxijacket. That will slow wear about 5x. Or you can make a home-brew anti-chafe treatment.
https://www.practical-sailor.com/sai...afe-protection


These two steps alone may solve the problem without climbing again.



And all of the tips offered about smoothing the edges. But I suspect switching to a knot will solve the problem. It is that simple.

[LifesBetterWhenYoureBeating]

Originally Posted by thinwater

Is the halyard spliced to the shackle? Cut off a foot of rope and tie the halyard to the sail with a bowline. That will get rid of the chafed area in seconds. Every time it chafes, move the knot 3 inches.



Treat the last foot of rope with Yale Maxijacket. That will slow wear about 5x. Or you can make a home-brew anti-chafe treatment.
https://www.practical-sailor.com/sai...afe-protection


These two steps alone may solve the problem without climbing again.



And all of the tips offered about smoothing the edges. But I suspect switching to a knot will solve the problem. It is that simple.

A 30h long sail was enough to eat away the cover of my halyard. I need to find a way to stop the chafing or else on long trips I'd have to regularly lower the main to move the knot.

Maybe after smoothing the edges the chafing won't be so severe and I won't have to move the knot often

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[George_SD]

You've got a couple of options
1 - you can whip the halyard with a small diameter dynema line (6"-12" section where it contacts with the box). This will keep the halyard safe and will wear the whipping line.
2 - round the edge of the box splitter in the middle- make it smooth and give it a radius. This will significantly slow down chafing if not prevent it completely. Easy to do with a dremel or similar tool
3 - see if you can replace the sheave with an oversized one that will extend to the edge of the box and will prevent line contact with the box split plate.
4 - put on a dynema chafe sleeve

[LifesBetterWhenYoureBeating]

Originally Posted by George_SD

You've got a couple of options
1 - you can whip the halyard with a small diameter dynema line (6"-12" section where it contacts with the box). This will keep the halyard safe and will wear the whipping line.
2 - round the edge of the box splitter in the middle- make it smooth and give it a radius. This will significantly slow down chafing if not prevent it completely. Easy to do with a dremel or similar tool
3 - see if you can replace the sheave with an oversized one that will extend to the edge of the box and will prevent line contact with the box split plate.
4 - put on a dynema chafe sleeve

Great suggestions! I was going to try to round the edges with a file but my recently acquired dremel will certainly make the job easier

I actually have a chafe sleeve on the other main halyard (polyester) I have on the mast, but it wasn't showing any signs of severe chafing after several sails, so when I recently installed the hi-mod halyard I didn't bother putting a chafe sleeve on it. Now I'm leaning towards the whipping you suggested as it looks way stronger

I'll have a look at the sheaves and see if oversized ones would prevent the halyard from touching the splitter as you suggested

Thanks a bunch!

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[Bowdrie]

I would add that from the pic it appears that the headstay where the wire enters the swedge fitting has an eccentric load.
Is the toggle free on its pin to align itself with the load?
In the "old days" a wire to rope halyard would be used.
For a crusing boat the wire would be of a length such that from full hoist to the deepest reef there would be wire in the sheeve box.
Rigged that way your hands would never have to handle the wire and the disaster of a chafed-thru halyard was eliminated.
Of course, in a racing boat the wire would reach all the way down to the winch, a couple of wraps on the winch and the wire-to-rope splice between winch and cleat.
Another "fix" was attaching smooth stainless "bars" to the edges of the sheeve box.
Whatever, any efforts to eliminate the chafe is none too much.

[LifesBetterWhenYoureBeating]

Originally Posted by Bowdrie

I would add that from the pic it appears that the headstay where the wire enters the swedge fitting has an eccentric load.

Is the toggle free on its pin to align itself with the load?

Good point, I'll be going up soon and I'll check if the toggle is free on the pin. AIUI, if it's free it'd align itself with the load and I've nothing to worry about? If not, what other checks can I do while up there?

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[The Yacht Rigger]

Definitely file those edges nice and smooth, also in this situation I would consider installing a halyard restrainer. Unconventional for a main halyard, but I believe it will solve your issue. You'd have to figure out how to mount it over or alongside the track, perhaps with a small block either side of the track for it to sit on?
See picture. I would mount it a couple inches below the masthead, well above the sail.

[Searles]

Sleaveing the halyards for each reef is one way ,but I would work on a means of fitting a guide piece at thr top of the track,no chafe on either tack feefed or not something in polished s/s actually fitted in the top of the track,ultimately removable .⚓️⛵️

[markvannote]

Totally off-subject but that backstay arrangement looks a little suspect to me. Almost like the slot in the toggle is not long enough to allow it to articulate to the correct angle. The rod is coming out of the eye fitting at a pretty wonky angle.

[neilpride]

Originally Posted by markvannote

Totally off-subject but that backstay arrangement looks a little suspect to me. Almost like the slot in the toggle is not long enough to allow it to articulate to the correct angle. The rod is coming out of the eye fitting at a pretty wonky angle.

Very very good observation, it is out of angle, when they work like this for
a while they break in the swage.

[LifesBetterWhenYoureBeating]

Originally Posted by markvannote

Totally off-subject but that backstay arrangement looks a little suspect to me. Almost like the slot in the toggle is not long enough to allow it to articulate to the correct angle. The rod is coming out of the eye fitting at a pretty wonky angle.

I haven't had a chance to go up the mast to check this carefully, so today I took a couple more photos, but this time abeam of the mast, and the angle looks ok to me. Could it be that it looks ok on these because I'm looking up to the fitting?

[Gudgeon]

Does the main sail have a headboard? If it does and you could get a full hiost it could possibly eliminate the halyard chafeing.

[markvannote]

Originally Posted by LifesBetterWhenYoureBeating

I haven't had a chance to go up the mast to check this carefully, so today I took a couple more photos, but this time abeam of the mast, and the angle looks ok to me. Could it be that it looks ok on these because I'm looking up to the fitting?

You are right in that the second photo looks better. It is really hard to tell for sure sitting here at my desk. From the first photo I would certainly want to go up and have a look.

Thanks.
Mark