Halyard stuck inside mast

[cwyckham]

Originally Posted by DubeJ

I was ready to scuttle her (not really), when my neighbor came over and after a bit of arguing and trying different ideas, we got her unstuck. She remains internal and we tested her out....got all the way up and had an amazing Sunday sail. Thanks everyone for the advice, but in the end it was a little beer, muscle, arguing and manipulating that ended up fixing the issue. Ready to go...Cheers!

So what was the issue? How did you fix it? Was it just the stuck sheave, or something internal?

[DubeJ]

Just worked the halyward up and down up and down up and down up and down...first with no weight (just a line attached so I wouldn't lose it up top). Then added a little tension with the attached line, then added the weight of the sail....up and down over and over....it worked. I don't know if I loosened a sheave or untangled the line, or what happened, I just know that it worked. I have a few theories but I'm just happy I was good.

Went out all day, hit 7 knots a few times, dipped the jib into the waves.....such a great feeling to push her over after almost 9 months of dealing with this!!

[Tingum]

Dockhead is on the right path. Unstepping a Catalina 22 rig is no big deal, if you cannot straighten it out by pulling a messenger you have fouled something internally. Take it down and fix it.

[DubeJ]

Tingum,
Thank you, but this is on my 28 Spirit, not the Cat

[D.D.]

Glad it's clear........Now......You may want to McLUbe the sheaves and look the rigging over. I take a trip aloft every spring and late summer to keep things working at the top. Most mast head rigging is usually "cleaned?" only be rain water and very, if any attention is paid to the sheaves. The salt enviornmental elements are also present in the air and we usually forget about the mast head unitl we are faced with issues such as yours. Be very sure that halyard runs free under all loads...there will come the time when you may have to reef in less than desirable conditions and you DON'T want a jam at the mast head.