Zig zag cord between the mast and stays above the top spreaders.

[savoir]

The relevance of that comment to a boat with no steps completely eludes me.

[Rustic Charm]

Originally Posted by savoir

The relevance of that comment to a boat with no steps completely eludes me.

In the front of the top spreader joint is I suspect what would be an external epirb case. In this case, that's what it stops the halyard getting caught on.

[bsurvey]

mny are coreect.


the bungee cords that are up there are so the spinnaker, sock or genneker doesn't back wind through the shrouds and snag between the mast and the spreaders

[cwyckham]

Originally Posted by Rustic Charm

Very wise. In 2013 I removed my main mast and had it overhauled. My mast guy said I was lucky I had not tried to be hauled up the mast as the pully for the spiniker was a fibre type and it was cracked badly.

But it was the same pully I had used as a safety point as I climbed up the steps, so if a step had broken I'd had been in trouble being supported by that.

He's infirmed me I should be using the main halyard line which is spectra and one of two pullies that are in the mast head. They can't break.

A cracked pulley is only really a problem if it's an external halyard. An internal halyard will keep you safe no matter what the pulley's do (though it would be inconvenient to break the pulley due to the friction).

Never go up on an external halyard!

And I agree with everyone else that if there's no steps, then there's no reason for those strings.

Take the strings off. If they're important, you'll find out why at some point in the next year. Otherwise, they're just increasing your windage and weight aloft for no reason.

[GILow]

The lump on the front of the mast is a radar reflector. The lacings at the top of the mast may help prevent the main halyard snagging on it but I know from bitter experience they sure don't prevent some of the external halyards snagging.

Matt



Sent from my iPad using Cruisers Sailing Forum

[Rustic Charm]

Originally Posted by GILow

The lump on the front of the mast is a radar reflector. The lacings at the top of the mast may help prevent the main halyard snagging on it but I know from bitter experience they sure don't prevent some of the external halyards snagging.

Matt

Sent from my iPad using Cruisers Sailing Forum

You can always put them back up later if you find you miss them. I'm doing mine in the next week or so before I go sailing again. Because once my halyard snag's its damn near impossible to get it free without going up there, which I don't like doing on the calmest of days.

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by cwyckham

Never go up on an external halyard!

I had to think about this. I finally figured out you must mean external halyard in the sense of say a spinnaker halyard that runs through a pulley hanging on the masthead.

On the other hand, I have had boats with external halyards that went over the masthead but not down the inside of the mast IE up one side of the mast, over the sheave at the top and down the other side of the mast.

In that case I see no problem going up the mast on an "external" halyard. But agree would not go up on a spinnaker halyard unless it was a dire emergency. You can rig a climbing knot around the mast as a safety.

[GILow]

I think, for now, I will reinstate the zig-zag cables, on the simple logic that if in doubt, leave well alone. (Except of course in this case, if in doubt, repair.) The point being, the guy who set this boat up was very very smart at this stuff and I am reluctant to change anything without understanding why he did it. From the points of view here, it seems that they are most probably there to prevent snagging of some sort, either halyards or sails. True, there's a bit more weight and drag up high, but hopefully they are relatively insignificant in the grand scheme of things.

As for the point about external halyards, that is well made and has made me pause. The halyard I was going to use for the ascenders is an external halyard (by any definition). I think, in retrospect, it might be better to use one of the two other spare internal halyards for the ascenders, since it is my intention that they will be taking my weight as I climb, with the bosun's chair on the main halyard being winched up "Behind me" as it were, always in contact but not taking the load.

Then the other spare rope halyard could remain as the emergency spare attached to my harness.

Hmmm... so many options, but where is a sky-hook when you want one?

Matt

[SailorCharles]

I have steps and the halyard is always getting caught at just the wrong time. I have been thinking about running a rod just on the out side of each step. fasten it with ?? zap straps? epoxy? any ideas?
Charles

[Rustic Charm]

Originally Posted by SailorCharles

I have steps and the halyard is always getting caught at just the wrong time. I have been thinking about running a rod just on the out side of each step. fasten it with ?? zap straps? epoxy? any ideas?
Charles

That would work I think. Anything that stops the rope wrapping around them steps or anything else it can get caught on. The lower spreaders I find don't matter so much as I can unwrap them from the deck. But the top one is on my boat impossible when underway, especially if there is a wind.

[GILow]

Err... what about the zig-zag cord (I need a better name) like we have? Presuming, of course, that is it's function.

Matt

[Steve Bean]

I've seen a light line running up the steps, lashed to each one. This would keep halyards out, but not sails.
line running up the tips of the steps, lashed to each one. This wouldn't do much to keep sails out, just halyards.

[Nicholson58]

I've sailed for 50 years and never saw stringy things as you have. I learned something new.

Nice paint job. If I saw that red whit & blue here we might salute.

[Steve Bean]

I've seen light lines running up the steps, lashed to the tip of each step. This would stop halyards but not sails.

[GILow]

Originally Posted by Nicholson58

I've sailed for 50 years and never saw stringy things as you have. I learned something new.

Nice paint job. If I saw that red whit & blue here we might salute.

"Stringy things" is such a better name than zig-zag cord.

Sorry to say the boat is now red white and black. This causes some angst as these are the colours of a local (Australian rules) football team of varied popularity.

Matt