jib halyard

[garyw]

hi
my jib halyard is worn and needs to be replaced.   in the mean time, until I replace it,  is it ok to use the other halyard I have instead  , I assume this is a spinnaker halyard and this line is in good shape   

thanks

gary w
catalina 34
1986  tr
summer wind

[Fred Koehlmann]

Hi Gary, If you setup is anything like ours, there are two (2) jib halyards, a port and starboard halyard. We use our port halyard to raise the Genoa onto the furling track and it stays up all season. However our track has two slots, so that theoretically we can raise a sail on the starboard track with the starboard halyard and then lower the other. Our two halyards are below the where the forstay connects to the mast head and sit as the same level (elevation). I'm guessing you should be OK.

I know that some people use the spare for spinnaker work, but it can get messing when gybing and then dowsing the sail with the halyard wrapping around the forstay and other halyard.

[garyw]

thanks

[Jim Hardesty]

Gary,
Just a word of caution.  Check the lead on the halyard you are planning to use with binoculars.  It should be at an angle to the head of the sail and the forestay.  ie. like your existing halyard.  This is to prevent the halyard wrapping the forestay when furling.  You can still use any halyard.  Just have good tension and check it when furling.
Jim

[Stu Jackson]

I know that some people use the spare for spinnaker work, but it can get messing when gybing and then dowsing the sail with the halyard wrapping around the forstay and other halyard.

I have a "spare" second halyard, which is tied off on a shroud cleat on the port side.  I do not think it goes through the spinnaker halyard slot on the port side of the mast up high, because it is an internal halyard.

Based on the manual in the tech wiki, there are four sheaves up top.  See Page 23 of the 1988 manual.

Fred's point is well taken:  If you have a "real" spinnaker halyard it MUST be on a block on the crane at the top or you'll foul your forestay. 

OTOH, if you're using a "spare" JIB halyard, unless you have a ProFurl (like I do) that has a built in halyard "WrapStop", you almost MUST have a halyard restrainer to assure that the angle from the halyard to the head of the jib on the furler doesn't create halyard wrap. 

It is RARE, if not impossible as far as I've seen, to have TWO halyard restrainers on one mast.

SO:  if you want to use a "spare" jib halyard to replace your existing jib halyard, and you have a non-ProFurl fulrer, you need to consider this.  VERY carefully, as Fred and Jim have said.  The ProFurl "Darth Vader" halyard restrainer works with any jib halyard at the head of any jib coming up the furler extrusion.

[Ron Hill]

Gary : It has already been mentioned but you need to check your 2nd "jib" halyards routing:

Jib - comes out of the mast thru one of the two sheaves on the front of the mast.
Spinnaker - comes out of the mast about 6 ft below the mast head and then goes thru a block on the horizontal bale attached to the mast head.

Look with your binoculars and see what you've got. If it's Jib rather than a Spinnaker halyard then you can use it.  If it's a Spinnaker then you can't use it for a furling head sail

I wrote a Mainsheet tech notes article on threading in a second jib halyard

A few thoughts

[garyw]

thanks .  i'll take a look the next time i am at the boat

gary w