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'76 E29 Main Halyard Sheave Change

reelmanmi

Member I
A little help please. I changed out the wire/rope main halyard on my "76 E29 a couple of years ago for 1/2 in StaSet. The halyard has never really free-wheeled through the sheaves and now it's all I can do to get it to move 5 feet. I have to admit it has seen little use since install.

Could it be I should have gone with smaller line and the 1/2 in has filled with dirt from the neighboring alfalfa fields or are the odds greater I'm looking at sheave failure? If it is time to change out the sheaves, is it something I can do from my bosuns chair?

Any information from one experienced in this change out or a diagram and where best to source parts would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance.
 

Loren Beach

O34 - Portland, OR
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
I had a similar experience with our boat and the changeover to all-rope halyards. I tried 3/8 for a couple of them, and it dragged against the cheeks at the masthead, noticeably.
I finally changed them all to 5/16. No problem since. BTW, it's good to have very low stretch for halyards. We have New England Ropes T-900. You need to catch a good sale price on it, like the once or twice a year special pricing when WM marks it way down.
While we get by fine with the "feel" of the line, other sailors prefer a lager diameter. When you use hi-tech line, strength is unlikely to be a concern... our 5/16 size is rated at about 7K# strength.
 

reelmanmi

Member I
Thanks Loren, good news if I can just be like you.;)
I'll assume you're talking about the 5/16 on the main of your Olsen 34? If that's the case, I should easily be safe with some 5/16 I have forward to at least try it out to see if it cures my problem. I'll hopefully know this weekend.
Thanks again
 

Loren Beach

O34 - Portland, OR
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
Thanks Loren, good news if I can just be like you.;)
I'll assume you're talking about the 5/16 on the main of your Olsen 34? If that's the case, I should easily be safe with some 5/16 I have forward to at least try it out to see if it cures my problem. I'll hopefully know this weekend.
Thanks again

We have 2 spinnaker halyards, a jib, and a main halyard. They are all 5/16" This size holds in our clutch stoppers and in the self tailing winches on the cabin, and they run freely thru the sheaves at the mast head.

Um, well, thank you.
If being "like me" you learn from all the other owners on this site, that's a Good thing! The level of experience and expertise I have found here over the years is awesome!
There are literally sailors here who have "wrung more sea water out of their socks than I have sailed over!"
:egrin:
 

frick

Member III
Many of the older sheaves at the mast head had a lower\smaller level where the wire halyard ran, and an upper level would hold the rope halyard. Could be that the new line is jamming in the smaller section for the old wire.
 

reelmanmi

Member I
That kinda makes sense from what I can see w/o my mast climber, Frick.

The center pins for the "main" sheaves appear to be in the "tunnel" a significant distance from the ends, meaning farther than the radius of the sheave would allow the halyard to drop cleanly down the mast. It also looks like their is another "track" or "lower/smaller" sheave at the opening that would allow for a clean drop down the mast.

Thanks for the input, much appreciated!
 

reelmanmi

Member I
Thanks Loren, good news if I can just be like you.;)
I'll assume you're talking about the 5/16 on the main of your Olsen 34? If that's the case, I should easily be safe with some 5/16 I have forward to at least try it out to see if it cures my problem. I'll hopefully know this weekend.
Thanks again
I had a similar experience with our boat and the changeover to all-rope halyards. I tried 3/8 for a couple of them, and it dragged against the cheeks at the masthead, noticeably. as the line left them.
I finally changed them all to 5/16. No problem since. BTW, it's good to have very low stretch for halyards. We have New England Ropes T-900. You need to catch a good sale price on it, like the once or twice a year special pricing when WM marks it way down.
While we get by fine with the "feel" of the line, other sailors prefer a lager diameter. When you use hi-tech line, strength is unlikely to be a concern... our 5/16 size is rated at about 7K# strength.

Hey Loren, last weekend it took my 300lb+ dock mate everything he had with me soaping the 1/2 in halyard and a mess of PB Blaster into the sheaves, but it finally came loose. YAY!
It was sweet music to my ears when I heard those sheaves whizz as the bitter end popped out.
Their was a black skid mark on top of the halyard where it was rubbing against the top of the mast cap. The 1/2" line barely fit when installed a couple of years ago and proceeded to collect dirt till it was swollen between the sheaves and the cap.
I measured the original rope portion of the wire/rope halyard that came out and it was 3/8 so that's what I went back with and it's running beautifully with lots of space.
Thanks for all the assistance, Loren
 
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