Stuck in the Mast

[silversailor]

For several years I have used the same system to feed a halyard down my mast: I tied a portion of a bicycle chain to a messenger line and fed it from the top to the exit. Worked like a charm. However, the last time, the chain got caught on something and the messenger line fell down the mast. I retrieved the messenger line though an exit at the base of the mast but cannot move the stuck chain. In the spring I'm planning on dropping an electrician's tape, rigged with a small hook at the end, down the mast (about 1/3 from the top) to fish for the chain with the hope that I can hook it and shake it loose from whatever it is stuck on. Looking for other suggestions and solutions.

[double u]

there seem to be "foam-rings" inside some selden masts, chain could be stuck in that
maybe try looking into the mast from the uppermost halyard exit with a dentist's mirror or an endoscope

[capblasters]

Great suggestion Double U. I used an plumber snake camera to do the same thing in my boom where a large nest was made. I wanted to see if it had been abandoned before washing it out.

[double u]

...however despite looking into the mast for hours & fishing around inside with a wire coat hanger bent ton nshape, umpteen times letting the mesenger line drop again I did not succed in getting the topping lift to not run between foamring & mast...for the time being I've given up...

[silversailor]

I'm hoping for a better result than "double u". I'll report back at the end of April.

[olaf hart]

Have you tried moving a rare earth magnet around the outside of the mast in the area the chain is stuck?
It may be possible to raise the chain and / or free it.
Works well for moving a messenger line along a boom.

[double u]

Originally Posted by silversailor

I'm hoping for a better result than "double u". I'll report back at the end of April.

...& sorry for my spelling in my above post, didn't look when pressing the button...

[stainless guy]

So long as there are not too many air leaks in the mast and the messenger line is light enough you could try a high power vacum to suck it back up the mast. Electricians sometimes use this for pulling a messenger through when a fish tape is not long enough.

Other option would be to send down a high power magnet on another messenger. More powerful per gram than "rare earth" are neodymium magnets
I use kjmagnetics .com when i need them

Second one will probably work better

[sanibel sailor]

Neodymium is a rare earth magnet