Dave Topolski
Junior Member
I'd appreciate some advice on replacing my wire & line spinnaker halyard. Is there any problem with using an all line halyard, what size,type,etc has proven best? Thanks. Dave T.35 E IIII Seabird Channel Islands, CA.
Halyard Replacement
- Thread starter Dave Topolski
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Line is Good
Lots and lots of pertinent commentary about this topic on this site. Use the Search box, upper right on your screen.
For an E-35-3, I would suggest 3/8 with the performance characteristics of T-900 (or whatever has replaced it currently). Even better would be 5/16 with a cover to add some grip where it gets handled by humans or clutch stoppers. This opinion is worth about you are paying for it, I should note.
Strength is not the issue, what with the 5/16 T-900 rated at 7000# (about equal to your shroud wire!)
Be sure that whatever size line you select will fit easily through the sheaves at the masthead, and that those sheaves are not chewed up from years of wire abraiding them. We turned ours on a small lathe.
Check the turning blocks at the base of the spar, as well, for appropriate sheave profile and condition. We have been on a multi-year program to replace the old axle-design Lewmars with the lower-friction Garhauer ball bearing blocks, BTW.
We replaced all of our wire running rigging with line -- this got rid of dangerous "meat hooks" and slightly increased our ballast ratio by lowering the weight aloft.
Best,
Loren in PDX
Olson 34 Fresh Air
Lots and lots of pertinent commentary about this topic on this site. Use the Search box, upper right on your screen.
For an E-35-3, I would suggest 3/8 with the performance characteristics of T-900 (or whatever has replaced it currently). Even better would be 5/16 with a cover to add some grip where it gets handled by humans or clutch stoppers. This opinion is worth about you are paying for it, I should note.
Strength is not the issue, what with the 5/16 T-900 rated at 7000# (about equal to your shroud wire!)
Be sure that whatever size line you select will fit easily through the sheaves at the masthead, and that those sheaves are not chewed up from years of wire abraiding them. We turned ours on a small lathe.
Check the turning blocks at the base of the spar, as well, for appropriate sheave profile and condition. We have been on a multi-year program to replace the old axle-design Lewmars with the lower-friction Garhauer ball bearing blocks, BTW.
We replaced all of our wire running rigging with line -- this got rid of dangerous "meat hooks" and slightly increased our ballast ratio by lowering the weight aloft.
Best,
Loren in PDX
Olson 34 Fresh Air
Last edited:
Geoff Nelson
Member II
New Hals
I bought a new main and stbd spin hal for my E381 just yesterday from Sailing Supply here in Dago.
Replaced the main hal with 7/16th XL-S and the rope-wire spin hal with all rope 3/8th XL-S. Cost ~$300.
No more washing up blood from the foredeck as my bowman slowly bleeds to death from all the meat hooks in the spin hal (and I don't have to listen to him whine!)
I bought a new main and stbd spin hal for my E381 just yesterday from Sailing Supply here in Dago.
Replaced the main hal with 7/16th XL-S and the rope-wire spin hal with all rope 3/8th XL-S. Cost ~$300.
No more washing up blood from the foredeck as my bowman slowly bleeds to death from all the meat hooks in the spin hal (and I don't have to listen to him whine!)
ted_reshetiloff
Contributing Partner
I did my Jib halyard run back to the cockpit at 123' in 3/8 marlowbraid with splicing and whipping for 120.00 from www.apsltd.com. BTW main jib and spin are pretty much the same length on the E 38-200. Any reason why you chose 7/16" for the main? Seems a bit big but is probably easier on the hands for the hoist..
windjunkee
Member III
I replaced a 7/16 crappy, old main halyard, a 3/8 poly jib halyard and a 3/8 moldy poly halyard last month. I went with Samson Warpspeed 3/8 for both the main and the jib. Light halyards, very little elongation to them. For the spin halyard I went with Samson XLS yachtbraid. Figured I didn't need the low stretch characteristic for the spin. I was getting headsail bounce from the halyard stretching as the boat went over waves.
Jim McCone
Voice of Reason E32-2 Hull Number 134
Jim McCone
Voice of Reason E32-2 Hull Number 134
Chris Miller
Sustaining Member
we're going all 3/8ths
I replaced a bunch of halyards and other running rigging this year. Went with all 3/8ths on spin halyard, spare halyard, topping lift (which probably doesn't need to be that big, but with a 50' aluminum stick- who really cares?), and main sheet. New main halyard is going on later this year (getting all I can out of the wire/rope that's there before I drop bucks on it) but will be a much better line. I'm thinking high end line for the genny too, since it's a roller furler. 3/8ths is big enough to handle without hurting yourself and yet doesn't add too much weight aloft.
just my experience for what it's worth.
Chris
I replaced a bunch of halyards and other running rigging this year. Went with all 3/8ths on spin halyard, spare halyard, topping lift (which probably doesn't need to be that big, but with a 50' aluminum stick- who really cares?), and main sheet. New main halyard is going on later this year (getting all I can out of the wire/rope that's there before I drop bucks on it) but will be a much better line. I'm thinking high end line for the genny too, since it's a roller furler. 3/8ths is big enough to handle without hurting yourself and yet doesn't add too much weight aloft.
just my experience for what it's worth.
Chris
ted_reshetiloff
Contributing Partner
RF Halyard idea
Was speaking with a buddy who is a rigger about halyards for RF genny. Issue is once you hoist the sail you end up with a ton of line in the cockpit or where ever that just sits there. I ease my RF halyard after sailing and tension it per the conditions but even so I don't need all the extra line sitting there. What we decided was to go with a cored line and placing a soft eye splice in the line leaving about 3 feet hanging out of the clutch when hoisted. We then used another piece of line with a similar splice in the end as a tail for the initial hoist. You turn the tail line through it's end splice and the splice on the halyard. Hoist the sail, then remove the tail. Now you still have a few feet of halyard to use on the winch for tensioning the luff but you dont have a big pile of extra line in the cockpit. Other systems he has seen include the use of wire halyard to a highfield lever setup on the mast that is very slick but takes some time to set up for hoisting or lowering which could be a problem in an emergency.
Was speaking with a buddy who is a rigger about halyards for RF genny. Issue is once you hoist the sail you end up with a ton of line in the cockpit or where ever that just sits there. I ease my RF halyard after sailing and tension it per the conditions but even so I don't need all the extra line sitting there. What we decided was to go with a cored line and placing a soft eye splice in the line leaving about 3 feet hanging out of the clutch when hoisted. We then used another piece of line with a similar splice in the end as a tail for the initial hoist. You turn the tail line through it's end splice and the splice on the halyard. Hoist the sail, then remove the tail. Now you still have a few feet of halyard to use on the winch for tensioning the luff but you dont have a big pile of extra line in the cockpit. Other systems he has seen include the use of wire halyard to a highfield lever setup on the mast that is very slick but takes some time to set up for hoisting or lowering which could be a problem in an emergency.
Chris Miller
Sustaining Member
Hey Ted...
Did you ever do that mod on the Jib Halyard? I'd like to do something like that when I replace it if I can. If so, do you have pictures?
Chris
Did you ever do that mod on the Jib Halyard? I'd like to do something like that when I replace it if I can. If so, do you have pictures?
Chris