Halyards, halyards and more halyards, or, the mapole dance.

[GILow]

Hi all,

I’ve got to make a decision about the halyard situation on the boat.

She’s a masthead cutter rig with furlers on the yankee and the staysail.

So neither the yankee nor the staysail need halyards, as they are the sort where the furler supports the sail through compression on the foil.

This has left me with two spare halyards from the very top of the mast, in addition to the Asym halyard.

There is also a spare rope halyard for the staysail, which I use to support the whisker pole.

The main halyard is backed up by the topping lift.

So, currently I am sailing around with three halyards running from the top of the mast to the toe rail, unless I am flying the Asym, plus one halyard from the first spreader to the toe rail. Needless to say it feels like it is all going to turn to macrame if I’m not careful.

I’m thinking of getting rid of the two spare halyards from the top of the mast, sInce I have the Asym halyard if I need to haul something up to the top of the mast at the front.

Any reason to keep these two? Some rigging combo I should consider?

Matt

[Benz]

There is no reason to keep them. If they are internal, just run a messenger line tied off at the top and bottom (then there's only messenger inside the mast) so you can reeve them again when you get rid of the furlers and return to proper headsails.

[El Pinguino]

Ah... Ping's 'First Law of Probability' comes into play here...

Get rid of them and next time out you will need them....

Keep them and you will never need them....

Not sure how you don't need a halyard for your headsails...

Bet Bert wishes he had a spare halyard...

https://www.sailblogs.com/member/seaburban/477048

Over and above what I have in use I have a second genoa halyard and the spin halyard... both taken to the foot of the mast when at sea.. held off the mast by a bit of small stuff taken back to the baby stay...halyards are taken back to the pulpit when in port....

[HankOnthewater]

Originally Posted by El Pinguino

Ah... Ping's 'First Law of Probability' comes into play here...

Get rid of them and next time out you will need them....

Keep them and you will never need them....

Not sure how you don't need a halyard for your headsails...

snip

Some furlers ie Reefurl is hoisted by a halyard, via a small sheave on top of the foil and then tied off at the bottom of the furler.

Gilow, maybe as Benz said above, leave small lines inside the mast of the ones you do not use. I would say, keep at least one halyard in working order, if nothing else, for hoisting a bosun chair.
Second reason for a ready-to-go halyard is when a headsail furler does not work, and one can not roll up the sail, a halyard can be wrapped round it and the sail can be secured that way.... but doing that it rather difficult, particular with a lot of wind.

[GILow]

Hmmm.... hadn’t considered using one to lash down the yankee in the event of a furler failure.

I do have mast steps though I also use the Asym halyard on an ascender as a safety backup when climbing.

I think I’ll get rid of just the rope to wire spare for now.... and the tip about replacing it with a mousing line, that makes good sense.

Thanks all, I was kinda paralysed with my thinking on this one.

Matt

[GILow]

Originally Posted by El Pinguino

Not sure how you don't need a halyard for your headsails...

My furlers are both the sort where the foil rests on a bearing at the bottom and a halyard goes to a block at the top of the foil and back down again, putting the foil in compression. This means the lower bearing takes the full weight of the sail and furler.

Both still good after nearly 40 years tho, so the system works.

[JPA Cate]

Hi, everyone.

Not only is Murphy alive and well, but you never know when you will need those halyards. One thing you can do, however, is attach a light line to the shackle, and hoist them aloft, where you can downhaul them when needed. Make a bag to bag the tails of the halyards and protect them from UV. That will give you the best of both worlds, have them ready to go as needed, but off the toerail, not chafing on the sheaves.

Our previous Insatiable had two genoa halyards and two spinnaker halyards, and two main halyards, spin. pole topping lift, and maint topping lift. Never found it to have too many halyards.

Ann

[GILow]

I can’t help feeling Murphy has it both ways with this one.

If I remove the halyards, he’ll make me need them.

If I leave them, he’ll turn them into a macrame pot hanger at the worst possible moment.

[El Pinguino]

Just remember to bring them back to the mast when you go sailing.... otherwise it is a penny to a pound of pigmy poo that one dark and stormy night... when running... you will try to furl the headsail and will wind a halyard into it.. and that will be that.....

I reckon most of the stories about bearings in furler drums failing and then leading to loss of yacht are down to that very issue... people fail to 'look aloft!'

[RaymondR]

Big round lead sinker on the end of a messenger line to act as a stopper. Since the messenger is inside the mast the UV won't get it. If you need to restring a halyard the sinker might pull it back down without climbing the mast. Worth a try.

[meirriba]

Benz & Jim Cate gave you the best answers (IMHO)...

[JPA Cate]

Matt, I explained how to have your cake and eat it, too. Why don't you just do it?

Ann

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by meirriba

Benz & Jim Cate gave you the best answers (IMHO)...

While I'm always happy to have my ideas applauded, the above credit goes to JPA Cate, my ever so clever wife, who is oft times pretty wise.

And for what it is worth, I agree with her post.

Jim

[GILow]

Originally Posted by JPA Cate

Matt, I explained how to have your cake and eat it, too. Why don't you just do it?

Ann

Because I was still trying to figure out what you had in mind.

And because I am trying to figure out where the heck the bag would go.

[GILow]

Originally Posted by El Pinguino

Just remember to bring them back to the mast when you go sailing.... otherwise it is a penny to a pound of pigmy poo that one dark and stormy night... when running... you will try to furl the headsail and will wind a halyard into it..

Yeah, I learned that the hard way. I couldn’t understand why the PO had them attached to special rings on the safety lines parallel with the mast and, being the clever boy I thought I was, moved them up to the front, “where they belonged”.

The first time I tried (and failed) to furl the yankee I understood his logic and belatedly moved them back again.