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astokel · 21-10-2015, 10:42

During a big wind storm, the shackle attaching my main halyard to the sail came loose. The wind was gusting to 100 km/hr (about 55 knots) and the line and the shackle was flying out at almost 90 degrees, wrapping itself around my neighbours' shrouds. I shortened the halyard to prevent it hitting the other boat and went below.

In the morning it was wrapped around my back stay about 7 metres (20 feet) up. My marina charges $150 to take down a mast. Any ideas about how I can retrieve the shackle myself?

Nothing involving bosun's chairs please, I'm 70 and have issues with heights.

travellerw · 21-10-2015, 10:50

Are you friends with Peter Pan?..... Kidding..

How about a long boat hook or other object to assist in unwrapping it!

2hullvenus · 21-10-2015, 10:52

Long stick. push it around to unwind it.

astokel · 21-10-2015, 10:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2hullvenus

Long stick. push it around to unwind it.

I may have to try that but I tried that once before and 20 foots sticks get very unstable and remarkably heavy. That might be plan B.

model 10 · 21-10-2015, 10:55

Get another line over the top of it, another halyard or something. Pull it back to the stay and work it down.

**nigel1** · 21-10-2015, 11:04

Do you have a topping lift?

If you do, remove from mast and take to the back stay. Fashion a "lasso" with a long tail (at least 20 feet) around the stay, fasten the topping lift to the loop of the lasso.
Use the topping lift to hoist the lasso up the stay and over the halyard. Cinch up the lasso with the tail, and then try and work the loop and halyard down the stay.

If no topping lift, you could try with a foresail halyard, but it would be harder work.

ctl411 · 21-10-2015, 11:24

If you have a spare halyard neighboring kid would be the quickest.
If not monkey fist tied to light line try to hit the gap then work halyard down.

MBWhite · 21-10-2015, 18:25

Can you borrow a ladder? make a slip knot around the top rung and the backstay and tighten the knot while putting up the ladder. Doesn't have to be a 20 foot ladder, but standing on that towards the top you may be able to reach it with a broomstick, possibly one that has a bent coat hanger taped to the end.

**Wotname** · 21-10-2015, 18:32

Do you have any fishing tackle (rod & reel)?
If so toss a lure at it...

**Don C L** · 21-10-2015, 19:14

OK here goes. Lash a boat hook to the backstay in such a way that it can slide up and down. Have a line tied to its lower end that is about 25' long. Get two 10' lengths of pvc pipe and push the boat hook up lashing the pipes to the backstay as you go so it is not flopping around. Duct tape the boat hook to the pipe so that once the boat hook is up you can turn the pipe and turn the hook as needed to pass the halyard. Hopefully the hook will go up and catch the halyard and then you can pull it back down the backstay to a level easier to grab or snag and untie. You may need to add some line to the halyard so the end of it can travel up to the mast head and be retrieved too. Not sure if that makes sense but that's what I'd try.

**boatman61** · 21-10-2015, 19:19

Stop being a Wuss... go up the bludi mast and get it sorted.. Kids..

OldFrog75 · 21-10-2015, 20:29

Can you use your spinnaker halyard or topping lift to secure the mast to an aft deck cleat and then loosen the backstay enough to twirl it in the opposite direction of the halyard wrap?

Either that or pay a younger person less than $150 to take a ride in the bosun's chair and untangle it.