BC26 - Main Halyard - replacement

[AndyB]

Hi
Went sailing yesterday and the main halyard got jammed in the block at the bottom of the mast. The sail was 3/4 up the mast and we were next to the main channel coming out of Portsmouth. This has never happened to me before so might be just a freak accident. Has anyone else had the issue?

I hove to for some 40 minutes whilst I used a combination of the winch and spare rope to un jam it by which time the rope had become frayed where it got jammed. Being an important piece of rope and where it goes I thought I had better replace it.

Does anyone know what rope is being used and how long? The specification says the air draught is 10.4m so taking off the 0.5 for water to base of mast I thought 20m to go up and down and 5m to go back to the cockpit with some extra.  I assume it is dyneema to minimise stretch but does anyone know what make of rope is being used - mine looks like marlow excell racing rope. What width are people using?

[AndyB]

Just to inform you. Swallow yachts say it is kingfisher 8mm cruising dyneema rope 26m long

[Nick Orchard]

Hi Andy - as you know I had my halyard jam at the top, I think getting it jammed at the bottom is a new one.
I’m pretty sure my main and jib halyards are Marlow D2 Racing dyneema - £8.46/metre! I think that’s why they’re now using the Kingfisher.
Nick

[Nicky R]

If it gets jammed at the top it might be worth getting some extra length so you don’t need a whole new rope when just the top bit has frayed. Of course that’s no use at all when the bottom gets jammed.

It might be worth checking the block hasn’t worn, as that could cause the jamming.

[Carol Lawson]

Our original main halyard was 6mm braid on braid, so I am pleased to hear it is a higher spec. and less likely to jam between cheek and sheave of that top block.
Have just replaced our main halyard with sk78 dyneema with 24 braid cover, Racing dyneema equivalent, bought in Spain at a ridiculous 2.80€/ metre.
25 metres is good length. I skimped on my last one, thinking I would save another pile of string in the cockpit, and then found when the mast came down in place for trailering, I had not left enough for it to stay in the clutch etc.  Only a bit of a faff putting back through, but when you have wrestled the mast up and got all sorted a pain to have to do that as an extra.
Incidentally, picked up a Calor Gaz 907 replacement bottle for 22€ at the same shop, we don’t half get ripped off in this country!

[AndyB]

I have threaded the new line through ( I really  recommend the speedy stitcher) and 26M is a good length. Especially when standing in the cockpit to haul it up. The old line looks thinner than the new one and when I go on the marlow  - excel racing website the maximum size is 6mm but the cover looks the same as the website indicating it is a 6mm rope. The D2 goes up to 8mm but has a slightly different cover. Apart from the diameter/pi I don't have a rope measurer and at such small diameters that method is not that accurate.

The blocks are fine and the rope sits a lot better in them. The rope is softer and the sail drops quicker - maybe I am just imaging it or it maybe that I have changed the way the lazy jacks hang at the front as they are also a topping lift but that is another subject.

I have added a cunningham/downhaul and outhaul ( both coming back to the cockpit). Pulling up the mainsail is a lot easier - almost don't need the winch as much so less strain on the block at the top. The sail is tightened using the cunningham and it looks more uniform.  The outhaul works well in altering the shape of the sail and now it is in the cockpit I can adjust whilst sailing depending on the wind strength.

So lets see what happens as time goes on and I raise and lower in anger rather than in the marina.