Replacing halyards for winter storage... paracord?

[OrangeCrush]

I want to take the running rigging off my boat for winter storage. On my last boat I used old tired halyards to replace my nice new ones, but on my new boat I don't have any extras that long. It seems like paracord would be a good bet for this application, but I'm a little nervous it might get stuck on the outside of the sheaves if it's not dead center. Maybe just clothesline? Anyone have any experience using paracord or alternate suggestions?

[Seaslug Caravan]

Great idea. I remove my halyards ( a mixture of polyester and spectra double braid) during periods when the boat will get little use.

Its very easy to add a mousing eye to the end of a DB halyard. Check the interwebby thingy for methods. I make a small loop by tucking a piece of the cover back into the body of the rope held with a few stitches. Neat and simple.

I use 3mm VB cord as the mousing line as its cheap and has low windage.

I wrap the free ends of the mice? around the forestay etc so they don't require much tension and don't stretch and chaff on things during winter gales.

Halyards add up price wise, so I see little point in leaving them in the weather/sun to deteriorate.

[UNCIVILIZED]

I'd suggest picking up a spool of 4-5mm accessory cord. It tends to hold up better than paracord, & has a bit more meat & strength to it. Plus it's fairly inexpensive in bulk, & has lots of uses. Such as lacing up ones lifelines in an X-pattern, in order to keep loose sails from sliding over the side. etc. But paracord would probably work. I just use accessory cord as on 85% of the boats that I work & race on, we keep a spool around, given it's utility.

For your halyards themselves, just add a reeving splice to their bitter ends. It's something that all halyards should have in them anyway, as it makes it a snap to re-lead them.
They only take a couple of minutes per to put in.

[Seaslug Caravan]

Does this help. I use the stretch the cover and create loop method shown here.
just scroll down past the sew the ends together method.

It doesn't create any extra bulk as you are only using the cover.

https://books.google.com.au/books?id...alyard&f=false

[UNCIVILIZED]

Seaslug_Caravan I couldn't get the link to work. Though there is this description with pics on how to do one. http://www.jamestowndistributors.com...t.do?docId=926
But to these DIY instructions I'd add that you should lock stitch the splice's tail in place once the cover is fully, & neatly buried inside of the line.

[admiralslater]

My mast comes off for the winter and I do remove the halyards. One year I used some thin line (1/8) and it was able to fall behind something inside the mast which caused a little entertainment. Now I use 5/16 poly

[Cheechako]

I would share your concern about any line that is too small getting jammed outside the sheave. There are some cheap lines that would work though. Poly etc.

[OrangeCrush]

Thanks for the help, all. I ordered 100 meters of cheap 4mm accessory cord for about $20 on amazon. I think that should be big enough to stay in the sheaves and I'll try the reeving splice or possibly sew on the reeving loop as suggested.

[David B]

Originally Posted by OrangeCrush

Thanks for the help, all. I ordered 100 meters of cheap 4mm accessory cord for about $20 on amazon. I think that should be big enough to stay in the sheaves and I'll try the reeving splice or possibly sew on the reeving loop as suggested.

Just a tip - a BIG ONE !
Be very careful of what any mousing line is made from. In Malta this year in a hardware store, I found a 100 metre reel of 4mm braid for around 20 Euro. Seemed a great deal, but I decided to decline, and pay a lot more from a chandlery. Why? I was not sure as to the synthetic fibre used, and I have seen what UV (sunlight) can do to fibres not intended for use in the sun.

Some years ago, my brother-in-law purchased a cover for his ski boat. It was an off the shelf, one size fits most, sort of thing. To be fair, it was intended as a dust cover for storage of the boat in a garage etc. Anyway, the tie-down cord supplied with the cover was not used, so my brother in law donated it to my lazyjacks project on a little 22 footer we have here.

All went very well, and looked good. That was summer time, and we had a great several weeks over the summer holidays sailing on the local lakes here (and enjoying the convenience of lazyjacks). Then the real world drew us back, and we did not get down to the boat for two months or so. When I returned, there were no lazyjacks - nothing. Thinking no one is going to steal my lazyjack system, I went looking around, and found tangled on a nearby bush, all that was left of the cord - about a metre of it. It just powdered away in my fingers as I assume the rest had done, and been blown to the winds - such was the effect of UV on this particular fibre.

Imagine if I had used similar cord on our 50 footer in the Med. We would have come back the next season to find the in-mast part of the five mousing lines all in a heap somewhere in the bottom of the mast, and the external parts blown away. What a problem that would be, and I suspect no amount of poking would clear the mess in the bottom of the mast, meaning we would have to hire a crane to get the mast out, re-rig, and then re-install. Several days hassle, and I don't want to thing of how much money.

Big story, but bottom line is I would hate for anyone to be caught that way.

I hope that helps someone.

David

[Suijin]

Originally Posted by OrangeCrush

Thanks for the help, all. I ordered 100 meters of cheap 4mm accessory cord for about $20 on amazon. I think that should be big enough to stay in the sheaves and I'll try the reeving splice or possibly sew on the reeving loop as suggested.

One tip...keep the mouse cord under tension as you run the line out, and secure it under tension, which will keep it from jumping the sheave and other sorts of mischief.

Splice in the reeving loop. It's really simple. There are probably 20 videos on YT about it.

[Siberianhusky]

I do this every fall, I use the cheapest poly 3 strand twist I can find.
I't just winter storage UV is not an issue in northern climates for a few months. LOL only get a few hours of weak sun a day anyway!
Actually just picked up the rope yesterday, 4$ for 100' of 1/4".