Halyard Replacement advice will be appreciated

[Celestialsailor]

Hmmmm...I guess 2 schools of thought here. If conditions warrant reefing, then I wouldn't want the same conditions chaffing the sail. Still you need to go forward.
Also...I'll mention here that on my boat, there is no need to keep the winch handle in the winch (supposedly a hand breaker). When I release the brake, it only slackens the main, the main doesn't tumble down. When my reef is complete (usually 10 minutes) I re-insert the handle and tighten up the sail.

[barnakiel]

IMOCA 60 skippers do it this way, big waves and high winds, they do care somewhat less as theirs are spectra - stronger cloth and less chafe too.

You can nihilate all chafe by simply sticking spectra taffeta patches at over chafe areas.

You can nihilate all chafe if you use a stack-pack system or similar. Then the bunt does not droop.

The idea of 'going forward' to do this or that is fine in confined waters. Where we sail, in a small boat (ours is) you often go forward only if you have to, and then preferably when the other person is in the cockpit. Not to say it is not done or we find it too dangerous. If we have to, we go. If we do not have to, we stay put. And with all reef lines and halyards in the cockpit, we simply do not have to (most of the time, at least).

You know, we keep a bottle of rhum in a cockpit locker, so whoever ventures forward misses their sip ;-)

b.

[ssanzone]

i have a bunch of self tailing winches i am going to be selling soon.

i think they are lewmar 42s

btw: remember to save the wire and recycle it. prob a $100+ in the wire

-steve

[Suijin]

My main halyard and reefing lines at the roach lead back to the cockpit and it pisses me off. I'm looking into changing it, since reefing is now either a two person operation or a cumbersome one person one, given that I have reefing hooks on the gooseneck. I'd rather do everything at the mast. The only real convenience for me of the halyard leading to the cockpit is adjustment of the draft when under sail, and I'd gladly trade that for easier reefing.

[Celestialsailor]

Originally Posted by Suijin

My main halyard and reefing lines at the roach lead back to the cockpit and it pisses me off. I'm looking into changing it, since reefing is now either a two person operation or a cumbersome one person one, given that I have reefing hooks on the gooseneck. I'd rather do everything at the mast. The only real convenience for me of the halyard leading to the cockpit is adjustment of the draft when under sail, and I'd gladly trade that for easier reefing.

This is what I found also. I delivered a Pearson 35 with lines in the cockpit...we were like 2 monkeys on a football. The lines would trip us and roll under our feet.

[Suijin]

I'll also add that running lines to the cockpit introduces additional friction, more blocks cluttering the base of the mast, more area on the cabintop that you need to keep clear, and mildewed lines if they rest flat on the surface. I've taken to wedging lengths of swim noodles under them at both ends to lever them up off the deck to give them some air. Over all a PITA if not well designed into the boat from the start.

[jkindredpdx]

Originally Posted by Celestialsailor

This is what I found also. I delivered a Pearson 35 with lines in the cockpit...we were like 2 monkeys on a football. The lines would trip us and roll under our feet.

Agreed, that's why I drop my Main sheet down the aft thatch.

Despite your excellent arguments, I've got a trial in mind. I'll use my wire halyard as the topping lift. With new sheaves I'll replace my old topping lift line and run the halyard starboard through a deck organizer to a clutch on the cockpit combing. The added clutch will hold my roller furling line too. If I don't like it, I have some nice new line for other uses.

[barnakiel]

Whether one is a monkey or not is not a function of where your halyards are but rather of how you store them.

Ours sleep in bags immediately below winches / jammers.

I sometimes drop the lines thru the companionway, racing-style. This way they do not tangle if let free (e.g. I work at the mast and need to be able to pull some slack, etc.).

b.

[JPA Cate]

You got that right, Barnakiel,

Where there are no rope bags, you can still tidy lines so they don't come agley and be under-foot. Easy-peasy.

[jkindredpdx]

Might be that I raced before cruising, but I drop my sheets down the companionway. That's just what I was taught to do. Sedna's aft cabin companionway sits next to the main winch. Genny sheets and furling line hang nicely on the coaming when not in use. I would hang my main halyard there too. I'm planning on mounting a clutch on the side of the coaming. Is there any reason the clutch can't be mounted with the lever on the side?

[mr-canada]

Originally Posted by barnakiel

Only if your forward reef line is not rigged to hold the reef tack.

I have two sets of reef lines rigged to the cockpit. Reef 1 and Reef 2, both basically jiffy reefs but rigged through the boom with clamcleats above the companionway along with the vang, topping lift, etc. Works like a dream.

I would deep six the wire halyards. The meathook problem has been already described and then you get to deal with wire winches and their crazy locks.

If you get a halyard wrap problem with your furler it can permanently damage your halyards by coiling them around the stays. Nylon or dacron lines are softer and easier to manage.

I know nothing about the way you would run the lines, but I watched a rigger pull nylon line through a foil when I had a snapped stay. He used electric tape and snaked it through in under 15 minutes. Cant be much worse through the mast if you get someone who knows what they're doing.

My suggestion would be to get a rigger to look at it. While you can save money doing it yourself, the rigger works so bloody fast and does it right the first time (if they are reputable) that it is invaluable. Sometimes its worth the money to hire a professional.

Look hard though. The most "popular" and "best" riggers are often good but crooks.. My forestay problem I got quotes ranging from $1400 plus a new furler to the one I took which was $375 plus a bunch of elbow grease hauling the guy up and down the mast four times in an afternoon (I had rugburn on my hands despite the gloves). Guy did a great job and even told me a long story about my boat from a decade prior. Key is references and who he knows - who knows him. I'm sure there are amazing riggers who arent even listed. Those on the racing circuit will probably be in the know. Racers bust their rigging all the time.