Jammed Jib and Main Halyard

[DefinitelyMe]

Oh, and i agree that it needn't be too hard to un-step the mast yourself, either with a cheap crane-truck or a couple of friends with boats. Either way, tie a tag line to the base of the mast, and tie the hoisting line just over half way up the mast so that when it lifts, it lifts vertically, but the top section acts as a counterweight for the bottom, so one person can easily manipulate it and lay it down. I've done this a few times on boats much larger than yours. Tried and tested.

[Perstarebob]

To lift the mast , tie a bowline above the spreaders , lead the tail down to a winch and cleat on the mast ! Tie your lifting line into the bowline above the mast . The strain of the lift will all be on the winch . No need to remove the spreaders or anything . I have used a highway bridge as a crane, my wife thought I would get arrested , I guess I was lucky !

[Muckle Flugga]

Originally Posted by Hudson Force

I also agree with the plan to unstep the mast and lay it down with a safe plan. It used to be quite common to have locations at marinas with a high pole and block and tackle where anyone could raise their own mast, but liability problems, insurance and law suits have destroyed that. You need to find a place where you can be smart and safe with your own well thought out moves.

Yep, have done this many a time. In fact ratchet ones can still be found in rare locations in Europe, but as you say, this is being oblitterated by lawyers and forcible gambling agents (as I like to refer to insurance companies).

[captmikem]

long time ago I used to cruise the Bahamas and the Keys in a Columbia 26, great little boat, no engine.

It had wire to rope halyards and the masthead sheaves were a phenolic material. During the time I had the boat both sheaves split at the wire groove and the wire halyard jammed at masthead. Could very well be the problem you are having.


Michael

[hamburking]

If money is an issue...no need to hire a rigger to take down the mast. Your boat is 29', so likely just a single pair of spreaders. Around here, most marina's and clubs have a "gin pole" or stationary mast crane. Its usually free to use, or minimal fee...like $10. I suggest you watch some youtube videos on how to pull the mast first, and plan it out before you start. However, around here most people pull their masts every fall, and step them again in the spring. With a reasonable mast crane and a few friends, its not a big deal.

Once the stick is down, you can deal with the halyard issues without risking your life.

If you remove the sheave for the rope/wire halyard, most rigging shops can "turn" the sheave so that it will take all rope well. I agree with the others, rope/wire should be replaced with all rope.

[Djarraluda]

One further possible - a development of the "wire jumped off the sheave" option is that the wire has cut the sheave in two. I have experienced a wire halyard and plastic sheave do this, replaced it with a metal sheave only to find the same problem some years later on another boat. At least it shows that such errors can and do occur.
As said by others, keep an open mind and remove the mast, see what is the problem and fix everything before restepping. Avoid plastic sheaves if possible but ensure rope fits into the sheaves that you use. If it sits on the edges, it will fray quickly.
As for the coin under the mast - it should be a gold sovereign engraved with the name of the boat. This is the origin of the "do not change a boat's name", because then Davy Jones will not recognise payment if she sinks.
Roger

[bobfromcanada]

As everyone has pointed out, you'll probably have to pull the mast. Not a big deal on a 29 footer. We routinely pull masts on an annual basis for winter storage here. But before you do that, the original halyards on my old 28 footer were wire / rope and external (everything was outside the mast). They were set up with an eye splice in the rope and an eye in the wire that used a nicopress sleeve. The joint was located so that it just about got to the sheeve when the sail was hoisted. I made the mistake of trying to bag the jib on deck and pulled the joint through the sleeve. It went easily, that way at least. But it wouldn't go back the other way. Is it possible the same thing has happened here? BTW, I went to all rope halyards and that problem is history ...

[hamburking]

I had an older CAL25 with similar exposed sheaves at the top of the mast. One day I made the mistake of lowering the main while sailing downwind. The sail came down, but rolled the halyard off its masthead sheave right onto the jib halyard. Great, now both halyards were jammed. I could get them to move a little, but only under "no load" conditions. To solve the problem, I sold the boat. The new owner got up there and sorted it out in no time flat.

[Muckle Flugga]

Originally Posted by hamburking

I had an older CAL25 with similar exposed sheaves at the top of the mast. One day I made the mistake of lowering the main while sailing downwind. The sail came down, but rolled the halyard off its masthead sheave right onto the jib halyard. Great, now both halyards were jammed. I could get them to move a little, but only under "no load" conditions. To solve the problem, I sold the boat. The new owner got up there and sorted it out in no time flat.

[DougAnnapolis]

I assume you want to sail this boat for some time. Instead of short term half baked fixes you should pull the mast, get it on the ground. Get ride of the rope to wire halyards, replace the shives at the mast head, replace tHe mast head light with LED, and antenna, run all new electrical wiring top to bottom. Guide lines say to pull the mast every 10 years, but if do a good job now, you can get 12-20 years of service before next mast pull. Also make sure you have good drainage t the mast step. And messenger lines.mallod this will gain you dollars when you sell in the future.m

[Jman]

If you want just take a peek before dropping the mast you may be able to find a bigger boat who would be willing to hoist you partway up their mast while you raft with them, you could swing over and take a look.

Calm weather of course!


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[um saudade]

I don’t get it.You are afraid of the spinnaker block because of something you read?What did you see?Most tackle for halyards will hold up 10 times your body weight.If you don’t quite trust it do this:Set up the spin halyard to your harness or chair.Get in the harness and climb up on the boom, having tied the halyard off so the harness won’t quite hit the deck when the halyard stretches.J
Iift your feet as you jump and let the halyard break or break the fall.If it does not break after doing this for three times it won’t break if you climb.
If it still worries you the first thing you do when you get to the top is rig another block and use thatone leaving the spin halyard to hoist tools and whatnot up and down.Tie yourself off to the top of the mast with a lanyard if you need to.
Now figure out what’s wrong. It may be simple, it may be not so simple but don’t drop the mast first. If it can be fixed with the mast up it’s a good thing to do it that way. Get over the fear and get used to working aloft it will be a skill that will separate you from a lot of recreational sailors

[goat]

Grab that kid in the parking lot flying the drone around and get him to take a couple pictures of your mast head. Them follow all the good advice given here.

goat



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[Hudson Force]

Originally Posted by goat

Grab that kid in the parking lot flying the drone around and get him to take a couple pictures of your mast head. ....................

What a brilliant idea! Thanks for this thought! I'm still working in the past and stepping away with a good pair of binoculars. Nothing like a close up photo from overhead.

[Muckle Flugga]

Originally Posted by um saudade

I don’t get it.You are afraid of the spinnaker block because of something you read?What did you see?Most tackle for halyards will hold up 10 times your body weight.If you don’t quite trust it do this:Set up the spin halyard to your harness or chair.Get in the harness and climb up on the boom, having tied the halyard off so the harness won’t quite hit the deck when the halyard stretches.J
Iift your feet as you jump and let the halyard break or break the fall.If it does not break after doing this for three times it won’t break if you climb.
If it still worries you the first thing you do when you get to the top is rig another block and use thatone leaving the spin halyard to hoist tools and whatnot up and down.Tie yourself off to the top of the mast with a lanyard if you need to.
Now figure out what’s wrong. It may be simple, it may be not so simple but don’t drop the mast first. If it can be fixed with the mast up it’s a good thing to do it that way. Get over the fear and get used to working aloft it will be a skill that will separate you from a lot of recreational sailors

Spectacularly bad advice. Breathtaking actually.