Submitted on December 20, 2004 by Teho Riethmuller

Question: Hi, I have a 25 foot trailer sailor on a pile mooring in Brisbane. I have only been sailing for a few months. On the weekend I was sailing with the jib and main (brand new made by North Sails Kippa Ring!) and I was trying to tension the topping lift. The halyard for the topping lift was the same colour as another halyard (I suspect for the spinnaker, which I have not used yet). So, I accidentally kept pulling on the halyard and then had to pull it all the way out of the mast! (as the tail was not knotted or secured). Now it seems I have no spinnaker halyard..........Can you please tell me the easiest way to put a new halyard back in?

Thanks
Theo Riethmuller

Answer: Hi Theo, to reinstall your halyard, first you will want to drop a very small-diameter, lightweight cord into the mast. The best way to weight the cord so that it will fall straight down the rig is to tie a short length of bicycle chain to the end of the cord. The bike chain will fit through the sheave box space and make the bend over
the sheave.

1) Pull all the other halyards tight and cleat them off to make sure they won't get crossed with the new halyard

2) Tie the chain to a cord twice the length of your mast

3) Go to the masthead in a bosuns chair

4) Feed the chain into the sheave box (or through the external block and slot in the mast) and lower it to the bottom

5) Go back to the deck and look into the exit slot with a flash light to see the cord. Use a short wire (coat hanger size) to hook the cord and pull it out of the side of the mast.

6) Tape or handsew the halyard to the cord and pull the halyard to the top, through
the masthead sheave and back down the mast.

Regards,
Dan Neri

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