Reefing Line blunder

[carlosproa]

Recently I changed all my running rigging and used the appropriate method of hand sewing end to end the old line and the new one.

My reefing system is set as traditional slab with lazy jacks, etc; with four lines going inside the 16 ft long boom, exiting below the goose neck with a self set single cam cleat.

The replacement of line was going well until I pulled the wrong line (not sewn into the new one)

So now I need to thread a line back into the boom and so far my attempts has failed. The issue is that as I try to feed a messenger line from the stern side of the boom (big opening) towards the mast end of the boom, I am unable to see the line to grab it.

I used connected rods of a Dryer hose kit with the mesenger line attached at the tip, and I can get to the end but unable to see or feel anything. I even make sure to add a supplement so the end of this jig was at the same height of the top of the sheave at the gooseneck end of the boom.

When that did not work, I tried the other end trying to go around the sheave at the goose neck but the line jams in a few inches.

Here are pictures of each end




Goose neck end shot from below

[Cheechako]

-Can you feed a stiff wire, like one strand of solid copper house wire through the boom and then pull a line through?
-Could you put a small feeder line with a large fishing weight, maybe 5-6 oz, in the aft end of the boom, take off the mainsheet and lift the boom end way up allowing the weight to slide to the tack end?
-Buy a fish tape?

[ItDepends]

Tie a small magent to a piece of very thin string, and then use larger magnet to guide it along inside the boom Magnetic force transmits through aluminum. Works a treat.

I just used this trick to pull a wire through a long and convoluted path in bow pulpit tubing to get to the navigation lights. It took 3 minutes to do a job that would have been VERY difficult any other way.

Keep all the other lines very tight so you don't twist around them

[SVTatia]

Another method is to use a string with any kind of fluff attached to one end and use a shop vac or similar to suck it thru the boom.

[AKA-None]

Originally Posted by SVTatia

Another method is to use a string with any kind of fluff attached to one end and use a shop vac or similar to suck it thru the boom.

Monofilament also works

[Ferrity]

Good suggestions above. I found it useful to lift out the sheave assembly at the end of the boom.

Dennis
s/v Ferrity

[psk125]

The problem doesn't seem to be getting the line led through the boom. The problem seems to be fishing it out at the gooseneck end. When this sort of thing happens on my dinghy, I stick a loop of bendy wire up the receiving end, trying to make the loop as big as possible, (Imagine that the wire loop is pressing against the insides of the boom.) The messenger line therefore HAS to pass through it when it gets to that end of the boom. Then I run the messenger line through until I'm sure it has gotten to the loop. When you withdraw the loop, the messenger line should be caught up in it.

[carlosproa]

All great suggestions! CF never disappoints!! Thanks and I will report back over the weekend

[carlosproa]

Well I tried everything, and nothing worked. Most likely would need to take the boom end apart and see what is going on

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by carlosproa

Well I tried everything, and nothing worked. Most likely would need to take the boom end apart and see what is going on

You tried the shopvac with thread and fluffy? Works every time for me.

Also, the magnet method sounds solid to me.

[fxykty]

The gooseneck end is the hard part. When I’ve lost one of my lines here’s what I do:

1) Pull an adjacent line to the one that you need to replace our the back of the boom as far as it will go.
2) Tape a thin line, VB cord or similar, to the adjacent line at the back of the boom.
3) Pull the adjacent line from the gooseneck until the taped line pulls through. Now you’ve got a VB line in the adjacent slot.
4) Now the fun begins, to get the VB cord from the adjacent slot into the one you want. I’ve had success by poking a fishing line with a weight and hook from the slot I want the line in over the top to the other slot. The hook catches the VB cord and brings it back to the slot you want. Electrical fish tape works OK also.

[carlosproa]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

You tried the shopvac with thread and fluffy? Works every time for me.



Also, the magnet method sounds solid to me.

I did both, actually the best result was 8 length of flexible fiber glass rod used to clean a dryers’ tubing. I even was able to get a small line to the gooseneck area but something is not allowing it to pass thru it and it drove me crazy as I also used an electrical messenger tape with the same results, a shroud from an old beach cat, and a clothes line

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by carlosproa

I did both, actually the best result was 8 length of flexible fiber glass rod used to clean a dryers’ tubing. I even was able to get a small line to the gooseneck area but something is not allowing it to pass thru it and it drove me crazy as I also used an electrical messenger tape with the same results, a shroud from an old beach cat, and a clothes line

If the opening at the gooseneck is too small, use a smaller fluffy. Also make sure to use duct tape to force the vacuum hose to pull all air from the boom, closing off all openings around the hose and ooenings elsewhere in the boom.

In the old days of cassette tape, I pulled the tape out and use that to feed into a space with a vacuum on the other side. I once managed to get it through more than 60’ pipes with many bends.

[bensolomon]

Put rope lights into the boom to illuminate the inside. Then, at night, you'll have no trouble seeing you lines.

[Cwens]

A worthwhile tool to own is a strong magnet on a flexible stick, and a length of bead chain. If you fasten a length of bead chain to the end of a fish tape, all you need to do is get it kind of near the exit hole, and then even if you can't see into the exit hole, you can probe around with the magnet-on-a-stick and very likely snag th bead chain.

NB: I learned from experience that not all bead chain is steel and magnetic, test before putting this together with stuff you buy at your local hardware store.


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