Replacing old halyards

[rodfor]

Hi all
Bought my mark III three months ago and have had great fun just getting her back to former glory but now it's come down to replacing some bits that are just too far gone .The halyards are all past it but what I wanted to ask was the ones I have at present are wire bonded to braided line do I have to replace like for like or can I just go with double braided ? your advice and knowledge would be much appreciated

Cheers

Rod

[Dolphin]

Rod, the common way to go now is to use Spectra or Dyneema synthetic ropes.
Splicing is too expensive although I think that it is better because it doesn't stretch. Dynema will stretch up to 1% but it creeps in the first half hour more than that. That may not matter if you are cruising but racing it changes the tuning. It can sometimes be inconvenient to retension the halyard.
It also creeps and wears where it sits under tension over a pulley, so in time, every 3 months or so you have to "Freshen the nip" ie cut a bit off the end and reterminate the knot to the sail to move the point where the pulley (sheave) sits. You can also end for end it.
It is a lot easier to use than wire and easier to replace.
Greg.

[Gramps]

Rod,

The sheaves at the top of your mast will be wire and too veed for rope and this will give you trouble if you change over to all rope. I have never used Spectra, it is finer than the line normally used for halyards, but I don't know whether it is compatible with wire sheaves. Someone on the site who has made the change might be able to clarify the question.

Sean
AZZURA

[Dolphin]

I rerigged in Aug last year and the rigger left the sheaves in. I don't think its a problem. He used 8mm Dyneema.
That was Bryan Phillips.

Greg.

[Miker]

I just had a complete standing rig done, with other work. Prior to that I had replaced the mains halyard with 10mm spectra. When the rig came down for the work, the rigger commented simply by saying, "would you like me to do the headsail halyard as well with the same as the main?"

IMO the sheaves should be OK for spectra up to 10mm, especially if you're replacing your old "wire bonded to rope" halyards, as both the wire and the rope has been running through the same sheave.

Greg is correct on the wear, it's worth making sure the halyard is a couple of metres longer than you really need so you have room to cut a few inches off and move the wear points.

[rodfor]

As normal guys thanks for your input .just to be clear what your saying is yes use rope and do I just tie the end of the halyard to the sail or do I need to splice an end each time I cut a piece off?
Sorry for being a bit thick but if you don't ask you don't know

Cheers

[Shaun]

Bowline to the sail is all I have ever done, no problems as yet.

cheers

[storm petrel]

I use a eye splice with quick release shackles on my halyards. It only cost a few bucks to have a professional put an eye splice in the end.

[Dolphin]

The rigger just tied the rope halyard onto the snap shackle. That way you can retie it when you want to freshen it. Watch the length of the bight in the bowline, if its too long it may foul the pulley at the masthead.
I don't like bowlines they can come undone, try a fishermans bend.
Greg.

[Tales]

You can check you sheaves from the deck with binoculars. Wire and rope have different size grooves.

The sheaves on Tales (MkIII) are dual purpose so they were ok with spectra when I made the change.

I used 10 mm as it's a bit easier on the hands but 8 would be more than enough strength wise.

As Greg says, you do need to re-tension spectra after about half and hour but then it's ok all day.

End for ending is easy and I have used a bowline happily for 6 years now but fishermans knot is good too.

Cheers,

Tom