I ascended the main mast hoping to replace the missing halyard. The trip up and down was educational but the mission was a complete failure. Poking a halyard through the masthead while dangling proved fruitless even with a piece of wire taped to the end of the halyard. I tried 1/4 inch also No go.
Worse yet the sheeves did not seem to spin so the assumption is they are seized up and need to come out and get replaced. So I started thinking this could be done and as a bonus with the sheeves out the halyard would thread through the box very easily. Then all you would need to do is put the new sheeves in there with the halyards already in place and insert the clevis pin. What could go wrong?
I suppose worse thing is you're hanging from the spinnaker bail which sounds like a suicide mission in itself. I could use the one good main halyard as my safety backup, but it would need to stay loose to remove the pins in the masthead stay. And maybe preposition a working halyard off the welded up part of the spinnaker beak instead of the drilled an tapped bail were straight down is the wrong direction for the load on that thing.
I suppose I'm looking at a trip to the $ship yard since one of the spars seems wobbly like it got tweaked when the boat was rolling around. ( can new spars be purchased somewhere ?)
I found some great pictures by Dale and some dimensions for the mizzen sheeves but no specs on the 4 main sheeves. My wire halyards are long gone and the new halyards are all 7/16 sta set. The Sheeves from Zephyrworrks look very nice. I'll bet Dale knows the correct dimensions of the main sheeves. I'm assuming a slightly smaller diameter would be in order for going to all ropes halyards?
Thanks for all an any feedback.
Pete W.
Pete,
Questions... so many great questions!
1) Threading a halyard - I'm with you on this one. Virtually IMPOSIBLE with the sheeves in place and the rig up. The forestay and the backstay close off access to the sheeves and you can't get a good angle to thread anything through. Pulling a replacement through works but you of course do not have that option.
2) Removing the Sheeves - My guess this is another suicide mission in itself with the rig up. I am not sure that you can get the sheeves out of the masthead, again because of the interference of the forestay and the backstay in place. I suppose you could remove both the head and backstay and lower them to the deck and then remove the sheeves. I know what would happen if I did that, over the side they would go just after they bounced off and broke the deck hatch glass. Remember when you pull the sheeve pin BOTH sheeves (port and starboard) are free to roam. The ones with the existing halyard in it will head together towards the center of the mashead and be a real problem to move back into position.
3) Wobbly Spar - If their is allot of movement when you are up there it has to be your rig tune.
4) New Spars - Someone on this site did purchase new spars when theirs were down and being refurbished. Apparently a scrapper decided they were worth more in scrap than in use and cut them up. $5K & $7K rings a bell.
5) Sheeve Info - You must have found the pictures of the main masthead under the Maruska section when I rebuilt it last year. I couldn't find stainless ball bearings that had (in my mind) sufficient load ratings to replace the bronze bushing material. What I did end up doing was replace the plain straight bronze sleeve bushing with two flanged bronze bushings. Each is pressed into the existing sheeve, one from each side. I couldn't find the exact size I needed so I had to trim the flanges a bit thinner so they would fit into the masthead sleeve box once assembled. The flanges keep the sleeve centered and eliminates the sheeve rubbing against the inside of the masthead cheeks which eliminated the squeaking. That repair should last a lifetime. The existing sheeves can be used for wire or rope as the rope portion of the rope/wire halyard fits through with room to spare. They do have a "V" groove but for the most part mine were worn to a "U" groove which suits the rope better. Somewhere I have the dimensions and the McMaster Carr part numbers for the bronze bushings that I used if that will help.
I suspect that to refurbish your halyard sheeves you will have to drop the spar. As for getting the new halyard in there, persistence and Rube Goldberg methodology will save the day. I might try a section of solid core copper wire (ground wire out of a section of romex). You maybe able to push and bend as you go to get to the other side.
Good luck and be carefull my friend. I read a story last year about a guy who spent years building his own boat. He finally finished it, launched it and while rigging the mast fell to his death onto his own deck. I have the climbing steps on my rig. If someone goes up we still use the chair and stand on the steps once up there with the chair snugged up. If I go up alone I have a waist belt that I tie off around the spar when I am up there.
Be safe...
Dale Tanski
Dale,
I think you are correct when you say the sheeves will not come out unless the the jib and back stays pins are first removed. Another serious complication to an already complicated and dangerous repair.
For threading the halyard, I'm think a long small diameter coil spring. Something that would negotiate the bend but spring back strait when I push it through the box.
May have to retain a rigger who can get me into a yard out here. DIY is frowned upon as they expect you to be licensed and insured. Usually they expect you to hire their own crew. The standard mast pull will cost me plenty. It will be a first rate job. Spars sanded, painted and all new standing rigging. Was hoping to put that off.
Naturally if I can give them replacement parts that just go in there, It will save time and money. So I was hoping you had dimensions for the sheeves.
I misspoke when I said spars. I meant spreader. One has a lot of side to side. There is a clevis pin so if the spreader gets loose from impact, I'm guessing.
A young rigger girl fell to her death a while back at our marina. Was up there with a torch heating a bolt and cut her halyard. I climb with ptzel ascenders. There is a croll (chest ascender) on my chair and a hand ascender with foot loops. Both ascenders are connected to each other with a strap so the chair is connected to both. Similar to ATN. But I still get someone to spot me with back-up halyard. And I leave as much tail on the cleated end of the halyad I'm climbing so I can be winched down if I get stuck up there.
Thanks for the advice.
Pete W