Halyard Jammed

[gpshephe]

Well, it seems I went and did a silly thing. I was changing out my Spinnaker Halyard and I'm not going into the long story. The small guide line broke off and now I have the halyard stuck in the mainmast. And by stuck, I mean stuck. I think its at or around the bottom of the mast and I cant get it out. Any help would be appreciated. The halyard had loops on both ends I should have cut the loop off before I ran it through. I think that's caught on something inside.

[Duke 48]

From your statement, I assume there is NO messenger line / or halyard left on the outside of the mast. If there is, you might try attaching a good size treble barb fishing hook upside down ( points down) on a spare halyard, then raise the hook high enough to snag the broken line.. Good Luck

[gpshephe]

the messenger line broke off. the halyard is inside the mast. nothing out side.

[sabray]

You have a deck stepped mast? Where the halyard returns at he lower end is there a plate or turning block. If yes remove the fitting and pull.

[gpshephe]

keel stepped. I was thinking I need to unscrew the plate where the halyard is fed up through. I will work on that tomorrow. Thanks

[Ex-Calif]

Originally Posted by gpshephe

Well, it seems I went and did a silly thing. I was changing out my Spinnaker Halyard and I'm not going into the long story. The small guide line broke off and now I have the halyard stuck in the mainmast. And by stuck, I mean stuck. I think its at or around the bottom of the mast and I cant get it out. Any help would be appreciated. The halyard had loops on both ends I should have cut the loop off before I ran it through. I think that's caught on something inside.

Ouch - sucks...

Hard to visualize but if I read right the halyard was being fed down out the bottom of the mast and is almost out but stuck near the bottom. The halyard, I presume exits the side of the mast somewhere. It sounds like the end has snagged and needs to be lifted to clear a jam.

It sounds like you need to work from the bottom. I like the idea of something like the fish hook. Could you lash the hook to a stiff wire, points up. Feed it in (carefully not to snag other halyards) and see if you can find and lift the end? I'd consider getting away with a single hook to reduce chance of snagging something you dont want to snag...

I'd also go barbless hook so you have a chance of getting it out if it doesn't work.

Good luck.

[barnakiel]

Removing the plate a good idea up first then see what ensues.

b.

[rognvald]

My tool of choice would be an electricians snake. First, I would relieve the tension on all halyards/lines inside the mast. Secondly, I would fish the snake into the bottom of the mast and try to grab the halyard until it is even with the exit hole and remove from there. I don't like the idea of a fish hook(even a barbless one) since it may bury deeply into the lines and be difficult to remove from the inside. If you take your time, you should be successful. Good luck and good sailing. www.tools-plus.com/klein-56002.html

[gpshephe]

Thanks you guys. very good responses. I appreciate them all. I dont think I want to put a fish hook up there I might snag the wrong line, then what? I'm curious and I will research, but inside the mast. Does each line have it's own channel? Or are they freely run.

[gpshephe]

Originally Posted by Ex-Calif

Ouch - sucks...

Hard to visualize but if I read right the halyard was being fed down out the bottom of the mast and is almost out but stuck near the bottom. The halyard, I presume exits the side of the mast somewhere. It sounds like the end has snagged and needs to be lifted to clear a jam.

It sounds like you need to work from the bottom. I like the idea of something like the fish hook. Could you lash the hook to a stiff wire, points up. Feed it in (carefully not to snag other halyards) and see if you can find and lift the end? I'd consider getting away with a single hook to reduce chance of snagging something you dont want to snag...

I'd also go barbless hook so you have a chance of getting it out if it doesn't work.

Good luck.

The line was attached to a messenger line going up the inside of the mast. The messenger and the halyard were all the way up and out the top of the mast when the messenger line broke from a strong tug. The messenger line fell to the deck and the Halyard scrurried down the mast like a rat. I pulled the Halyard out the bottom as far I as I could but ......oops

[Cheechako]

If there is a turning block/plate in the mast definitely give that a try. FYI: I've always seized the old halyard end to the new one with monel seizng wire and then taped it up.... pulliing the new halyard through with the old....

[Ex-Calif]

Originally Posted by gpshephe

The line was attached to a messenger line going up the inside of the mast. The messenger and the halyard were all the way up and out the top of the mast when the messenger line broke from a strong tug. The messenger line fell to the deck and the Halyard scrurried down the mast like a rat. I pulled the Halyard out the bottom as far I as I could but ......oops

Ooh... Sounds like it could be a tangle and not a jam. That could be a lot worse...

Halyards are likely to be multiple halyards in one channel.

Have you pulled up on any other halyards since the jam? Maybe if jammed together the friction of one going up can help free the tangle and you can pull some more out the bottom.

[Me-and-Boo]

I feel your pain. My mainsail halyard is a couple of inches up from the block at the base of the mast. I will probably climb the mast and drop in back in with a weight to get it all the way down.

[gpshephe]

Originally Posted by Ex-Calif

Ooh... Sounds like it could be a tangle and not a jam. That could be a lot worse...

Halyards are likely to be multiple halyards in one channel.

Have you pulled up on any other halyards since the jam? Maybe if jammed together the friction of one going up can help free the tangle and you can pull some more out the bottom.

There are 5 lines going up the mast
The mainsail
The Spinnaker
The Top Lift
The Jib
And one other unknown one

The Mainsail is tight to pull up, but has been since I owned the boat.
But the Top Lift line moves when I move the stuck Spinnaker Halyard.

I'm wondering if they are intertwined somehow. I bought a plumbers snake a bright flashlight and a mirror on the end of a stalk today. I'm hoping that I'll be able to see in there with these tools. All tools may come in handy in the future, so I'm glad I bought them.

It's getting dark here, I may go out tonite and use the flashlight and the mirror just to see if I can spot something.

You know it's a possibility that there's something else stuck up in there as well. The boats an '87 model who knows whats inside the mast that the previous owner couldn't get out.

[gpshephe]

Originally Posted by Me-and-Boo

I feel your pain. My mainsail halyard is a couple of inches up from the block at the base of the mast. I will probably climb the mast and drop in back in with a weight to get it all the way down.

Oh my, so the halyard is fed in from the bottom and you had a messenger line break? Listen to me like I'm going to be able to help.
But I'll offer you any help I can especially when I get this figured out.