Securing Halyards

[Nicholson58]

Originally Posted by cabo_sailor

The technique I use is to take the halyard and flip it over the outside of the spreader and then snug it down. This holds the halyard out from the mast.

Good way to chafe the heck out of everything.

Take your shackle ends to the stanchion bases or other suitable place well away from the mast. Put suitable tension on each halyard. Other miscellaneous lines, we use bungee to hold them away from noise makers.

Marinas are the worst. Wind direction can be from anywhere. On anchor, only from the bow.

If you are trying to sleep below, any moving stuff may squeak or itch but may not be heard on deck or in the marina. Shackles on running backs are terrible.

[stormalong]

Originally Posted by Hartings

So what’s the best way to stop a halyard from slapping against the mast (other than removing it) ?

I custom made a radar guard out of 5/16 SS rod and had 4 hooks welded to it to individually hook each halyard and topping lift. The tips of the hooks are bent into a loop so there are no points to snag sails, etc. It also holds my detachable inner forestay. The radar guard is rod mostly because of weight, I never cared for those one inch tube radar guards.

On the aft edge of my lower spreaders I also had hooks welded. They hold the main halyard and the lazy jacks away from the mast.

I really hate listening to halyard slap. Now if I could figure out what to do about them slapping inside the mast. Others don't hear that but I do when below.

[cabo_sailor]

I’ve never seen any evidence of chafe with halyards held out by spreaders, no movement no chafe. Some other posts here remind me of a long time ago when I used bungy cord to hold the lines out from the mast and attached to the shrouds. I will still use that on a neighbors boat that becomes too annoying along with a note explaining why I did it.
As for internal mast slap, it drove me crazy. I finally pulled the mast. I found two internal conduits that were not being used. I had the mast rewired using the conduits. It cost a couple grand but it was well worth it in the long run.

[stormalong]

Originally Posted by cabo_sailor

As for internal mast slap, it drove me crazy. I finally pulled the mast. I found two internal conduits that were not being used. I had the mast rewired using the conduits. It cost a couple grand but it was well worth it in the long run.

I wish the wiring was the internal mast slap noise, my wiring is already in a conduit. With two spinnaker, jib, spare jib, storm jib and main halyards plus spinnaker pole topping lift I have a lot of lines slapping around in the mast. I have tried keeping them tight but it only works so much.

[cabo_sailor]

Originally Posted by stormalong

I wish the wiring was the internal mast slap noise, my wiring is already in a conduit. With two spinnaker, jib, spare jib, storm jib and main halyards plus spinnaker pole topping lift I have a lot of lines slapping around in the mast. I have tried keeping them tight but it only works so much.

I’m afraid I have no advice for you. That’s an awful lot of lines you have there. As a way out there “suggestion” could you remove the halyards you use infrequently and replace them with messenger lines? Smaller lines less slap. I hope someone here can help.

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by Hartings

So what’s the best way to stop a halyard from slapping against the mast (other than removing it) ?

Move them away from the mast.

[JPA Cate]

Mostly, adequate line tension eliminates halyard noise. Some bow pulpits have a halyard bar for all the headsail halyards and the pole topping lift. In the old days of my sailing, lots of people used a bungee cord between the offending halyard and the cap shroud.

We lead the main halyard aft, and stow it on a handrail on deck, and I tension it gently, with the main halyard winch. The spinnaker halyard is led back to the mast, and is inside the cowl on the forward end of the mainsail cover, as is the topping lift, so the wind gets broken up there. Those, we sweat tight. The main halyard being spectra, takes more tightening. I would not use the lifelines, don't like the idea of hauling up on them so strongly.

Sometimes our spinnaker pole car control lines want to make a racket. Only with the cowl off, though, and I am able to tension them by hand adequately to stop the slap.

I'd like to add that in wind against the tide, our boat may lie sideways to the wind, but cowl on, lines tensioned, there is no halyard snap.

One time years ago, in the 90's, in a marina with a Canadian friend, she went over to a guy's boat where the halyards were making a huge racket. Our friend had been a high school English teacher, and had a strong "playground voice." "Frap your friggin' halyards! rang out through the sundowners time marina.

I'd not heard the term before, but certainly, lines kept on the shrouds can easily fix the problem. If you made the change without permission, perhaps leave a note in the cockpit as to why it was done. Sometimes people don't like it that strangers have come on their boat. Maybe there's a point at which halyard bang becomes an "attractive nuisance." Their right to the sacrosanct nature of their private property is interrupting your sleep. Normally, one would never go aboard uninvited, but there are exceptions: if the boat is in danger of being lost, and maybe, just maybe, for halyard slap.

Ann

[RGN]

The way I do it on my boat is: I wrap the halyards around the mast in one long wrap down past the spreaders then another one or two to the winches. If you really want to secure then take the last and longest halyard and wrap it the opposite direction thus binding everything to mast in multiple places. They never make a sound.
My boat has a single spreader rig, a two or three spreader rig will probably not have much success doing it this way.


Works for me.

[smith8273]

On my main halyard I hook the shackle end of the halyard to a line on the traveler, clip the line on a carabiner that I keep on a shroud, and cleat. I kind of pull and wiggle the halyard, which works the carabiner up the shroud. I keep the halyard on the traveler rather than a lifeline so it's easier to walk forward. The jib and lazy jacks get the bungee cord treatment.

[stormalong]

Originally Posted by JPA Cate

Mostly, adequate line tension eliminates halyard noise. Some bow pulpits have a halyard bar for all the headsail halyards and the pole topping lift. In the old days of my sailing, lots of people used a bungee cord between the offending halyard and the cap shroud.
Ann

I never liked those halyard bars. Often the halyard gets caught up when furling the jib.

[billknny]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

I’m sure it’s not the best way, but I often slide a throwable cushion up between the mast and the Halyard, you may need to slacken that Halyard and use a boat hook to get it high enough.
I’ve yet to come up with a better solution, but admit what I do is Mickey Mouse, but it works.

Mickey Mouse? No, not at all. It is, however, totally Goofy.

I mean really??? There is no need for YOU to come up with a better solution. Walk a dock--any dock. You'll see lots of people who have managed to properly secure halyards and don't have boat cushions hanging on their masts...

[JPA Cate]

Originally Posted by stormalong

I never liked those halyard bars. Often the halyard gets caught up when furling the jib.

Hi, stormalong,

We actually only led the halyards up there at anchor or in the marina. When sailing, we secured them to a bail at the deck penetration for the mast. You're absolutely correct that you could get in trouble with one left up there. Until we first got roller furling, all our sails previously had been hank on, or had on deck bags to be lowered into, or had Kay-zee slugs and magazines. All systems worked well for us, but ya gotta lead the spinny halyard back before you up anchor or leave the slip.

Incidentally, you could bend up the halyard bar, if you used a winch to tighten it, but you don't need to use the winch, when it's way out there up front.



Ann

[thomm225]

Another way I keep the halyards from slapping the mast is to tie them off to a shroud. This is the jib halyard in photo.

Main halyard ties off to bow pulpit and the topping lift to cabin hand rails if necessary as in photo

I had just left anchor in picture. Topping lift will go to mast cleat when I raise the mainsail as will the main halyard

[Tillsbury]

Originally Posted by thomm225

Another way I keep the halyards from slapping the mast is to tie them off to a shroud. This is the jib halyard in photo.

Main halyard ties off to bow pulpit and the topping lift to cabin hand rails if necessary as in photo

I had just left anchor in picture. Topping lift will go to mast cleat when I raise the mainsail as will the main halyard

Correctly frapped halyard at last! Thank you for not using bungy cord -- the devil's own device on a boat.

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by Tillsbury

Correctly frapped halyard at last! Thank you for not using bungy cord -- the devil's own device on a boat.

I've used them on beach cats, etc and they always wear out.

That's leech line in the picture.....(from sailrite)