New halyard

[Harry Green]

Last November I was unfortunate enough to be caught (way!) off shore in some really nasty weather with very high wind speeds. On consequence of this was to have my low-stretch braided halyard almost part due to abrasion (approximately 4 foot from the masthead on the mainsheet side.)
This spring I wish to replace the main halyard with a combo wire/braided. My question is this: With the main raised completely where should the wire end? Over the masthead by so many feet?? Should the masthead roller/pulley be replaced to handle the wire and line combination? My manual indicates the overall length should be 70 feet of 3/8”. Has anyone out there ever lead their halyard lines aft to the cockpit on a 25D? The mast is unstepped.

[John Martin]

Does your main halyard terminate on the mast or in the cockpit?

If the main halyard terminates on the mast, you want one or two turns of wire only around the winch. Continue to wrap wire + line around the winch. Then only line goes around the main halyard cleat.

If the main halyard goes to the cockpit, the wire part, generally, comes to the base of the mast.

Yes, you should have wire sheaves at the mast-head for a wire halyard. I know the WM store sells rope/wire halyards that are 50/50. You trim off either end to fit your application.

One other thing. Find out what caused the other halyard to chafe.

[Andy Denmark]

Considering that rope halyards are much easier to handle and easier on the boat, I think John is correct in thinking that the cause of the halyard chafe should be determined and corrected. This does not occur on a properly rigged sailing vessel. I'd try to use rope halyards if at all possible.

That said, wire halyards have some things going for them but they are difficult to get exactly right. Yes, the masthead sheave must be replaced with absolutely no side clearance or the wire will certainly jump the sheave and jam to the side. This is a common problem. The other thing (and I have to correct John here) is that the rope-to-wire splice should always be between the winch and the cleat. Putting the splice directly on the winch will seriously reduce both its strength and its life (and those splices are either difficult to make and/or expensive). This is after three turns of wire on the winch (the same number of turns every time). Of course, this means the length of the headsail luffs need to be exactly the same length for every sail and this means adding head pennants (also wire with swaged thimbles). The pennant length can be determined by having the luff length plus the pennant length equal to the longest luff sail you have, less a small amount to allow the luff tension can be varied for good sail shape in the wind range for the sail being used.

For those of us who have sailed with wire halyards this will sound familiar. This complexity in rigging is perhaps the best reason to have rope halyards to begin with -- the KISS axiom. With the new synthetics, rope halyards have the same or less stretch than wire and can be much smaller that the stock halyards so the perceived advantage of wire being lower stretch than rope is offset. With these modern materials there's no real reason to have any halyard larger than 5/16" dia. on any Cape Dory less than 40 feet.
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[Ron M.]

Andy,
What say you about changing from rope /wire halyards to all rope ?
do the sheaves require changing ?
Modern line is plenty strong enough to replace wire. For my liking 5/16
is not hand friendly.
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[Neil Gordon]

With these modern materials there's no real reason to have any halyard larger than 5/16" dia. on any Cape Dory less than 40 feet.

What's the cost per foot analysis... disregard stretch, weight, windage, etc. For the required working load, what size/cost regular do you need vs. the size/cost of high test?

[Andy Denmark]

When you set a halyard the idea is to have it secure and fixed in position. With "stretchy" halyards you are constantly tensioning them otherwise your sails gradually turn into bags without good shape and decreased drive. Larger, high stretch halyards stretch a lot also. They just take a bit more time in doing so. To my thinking this is one place where low stretch grossly outweighs any cost benefit comparisons, especially when there's no benefit to be had with high stretch stuff.

As for the "hand" of the low stretch stuff, it isn't all that friendly --- but how much do you handle this stuff? Bending and striking sails is easily done with hardly any load to pull as the high tension work is done by a winch. Of course, if there's friction in the system then there is is some load. The answer here is to do away with the friction and not go to a larger line. Halyards aren't like sheets that have to be handled on every tack or jibe many times during an afternoon of sailing. Personally, I'll put up with a bit of discomfort hoisting so my sails can maintain the shape they are designed to have by using low stretch line. Use the stretchier, larger stuff for sheets and shop price if that's your thing.
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[Carter Brey]

I'll throw my 2 cents in with Andy's dollar. I think sheets are the only place "hand" matters. Fortunately that happens to coincide with no need for low stretch.

Just one thing: I experimented with NER T-900 super hi-test halyards on my last boat and would not repeat that little excursion into high roller territory. I found that the Spectra/Technora core made that rope stiff as yesterday's corpse, and was kinkier than the Marquis de Sade. No matter how conscientiously I overhauled that line, when it came time to let it run through blocks, it somehow found a way to jam. Yes, it's fantastically low stretch, but for me at least it passed the point of diminishing returns. I'd go with Samson XLS or something lower on the NER totem pole like Sta Set X.

Carter

[Andy Denmark]

is my choice. That's what is on Rhiannon (5/16") and soon to be on the ketch.

As for the Marquis, remember that weird uses a feather ..........

kinky takes the entire chicken!

FWIW
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[Warren Kaplan]

CD27s love Sta Set X. Over the years I replaced just about all the lines requiring low stretch with various diameters of Sta-Set X and its easy on the hands, is very managable and has held up very well.

That's for use on a sailboat. I haven't put it to use for anything the Marquis would have in mind...but I have to say it has me thinking!

[marilou]

My CD 270 came with New England Stay-Set X 7/16" Halyards. I replaced the orignals after almost 20 year of service with the same. I "squeezed" too many years out of them, but they never failed me.

[Al Levesque]

I have seen the wire to rope splice for jib halyards where it is possible to add length by adding pennants. I have only seen all-wire halyards for the main with the winch having sufficient space to take up all of the length of the halyard and has locking to hold the wire in tension without benefit of a cleat. This solves the problem of reefing the mainsail without having to rely on a wire to rope splice under tension, usually when you most want strength and reliability.