Slapping Halyards

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by CarinaPDX

If you loosen the halyard (a lot) you can swing it out and catch it on the spreader tip, then tighten it. This will pull the line away from the mast at enough of an angle to prevent slapping and doesn't require any extra gear.

Greg

I don't feel that is going to be a good idea for a furled headsail halyard!

[CarinaPDX]

If as you said the halyard is external then it will work fine.The length from the top of the furled sail to the masthead should not be a problem, only the fall coming down the side of the mast. Or did I not understand the situation?

Greg

[Edit: To clarify, take the halyard off of the winch, swing the halyard out until it is snagged by the end of the spreader, then reattach to the winch. Easy.]

[2nd edit: I think I see that you don't want to loosen the halyard with a furled headsail. Just do it. The owner can easily undo it and tighten the halyard, and use the time to think about how he can be more considerate in the future.]

[Mike OReilly]

All my halyards are external. I use Greg's method for a few of them, but to keep the furler-jib halyard silent I wrap another external halyard tightly around the mast a few times. Then I snug this halyard tightly on a winch. This pulls everything tight against the mast so nothing can move.

Although halyard banging drives me nuts, I don't think I'd ever go as far as to loosen someone else's furler halyard. If it somehow went unnoticed it could cause serious problems.

[JPA Cate]

Teach yourself to ignore the sound.

Don't ever go on other people's boats without an invitation.

When the owner comes around, suggest that he work on the problem some more, if you can't teach yourself to ignore it. After all, he did try to address the issue. Perhaps not much will happen if he eases the halyard, as the friction of the rolled up headsail will continue to hold it on the furler, so he could just fix the tail of the halyard aft along the boom, re-tensioning before unfurling. Otherwise, I would think that a line from the offending halyard, pulled aft to the boom topping lift or to the backstay might deal with it. Should be easy for the owner to set up and release.

It is really the owner's job to deal with it, not some other person in the marina, with the exception of the marina management, who might fix it for him or her, if asked.



Ann

[AKA-None]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

All my halyards are external. I use Greg's method for a few of them, but to keep the furler-jib halyard silent I wrap another external halyard tightly around the mast a few times. Then I snug this halyard tightly on a winch. This pulls everything tight against the mast so nothing can move.

Although halyard banging drives me nuts, I don't think I'd ever go as far as to loosen someone else's furler halyard. If it somehow went unnoticed it could cause serious problems.

Great point, I’d be abit irritated if someone did something like this. You want to gray spin halyard and wrap it that I could understand but don’t mess with a setup jib halyard.

I can easily see someone not noticing, yeah I know, and then having an issue

[CarinaPDX]

I don't recommend boarding another boat except as a last resort. The first thing to do is to talk to the owner, if they are around. But sometimes owners leave their boats with loose halyards and disappear for weeks, months, or even whole seasons without returning. In that case either talk to the harbormaster about it or get the job done, depending on whether one thinks the harbormaster will be helpful. I do not think we should have to suffer for an extended period of time because of someone else's inconsiderate behavior. The owner would have to be oblivious to not notice a halyard hooked over the end of a spreader, and in any event no harm is done if they don't notice, so I don't see that as a significant issue.

Greg

[Joh.Ghurt]

Originally Posted by CarinaPDX

But sometimes owners leave their boats with loose halyards and disappear for weeks, months, or even whole seasons without returning.

That's the most common case.

Originally Posted by CarinaPDX

In that case either talk to the harbormaster about it or get the job done, depending on whether one thinks the harbormaster will be helpful.

In my experience, they don't care much.

I usually try to make an impressive looking knot between halyard and topping lift with the loose end of some other line. As I'm a bit on the tall side, I sometimes can reach places other can't. Once had the joy to see a few weeks later the owner trying to figure out how to undo it. He never forgot again to tie his halyards off to prevent slapping. Seems the communication was successful.

Another easy trick is to jam an empty but closed waterbottle (1.5 or 5 l) from the trash between the mast and the halyard.