Topic: adventures with my main halyard
It all started when I decided that I don't like having to go back and forth from main halyard in the cockpit to reefing lines at the gooseneck when reefing the main. To make a long story short, I decided that I wanted to do it all from either the cockit or the mast. I decided for various reasons to try it at the mast, so moving the halyard to the mast it was. However, I didn't want to mount a winch on the mast and add a cleat etc. then decide I didn't like it. How to experiment with having the halyard at the mast without going whole hog? I put a simple purchase inside the mast. That gives me enough mechanical advantage to hoist the main without a winch. Here's what I did:
The halyard comes off the head of the main and up to its usual sheave at the top of the mast, over the top and into the mast. I cut the (old and suitably sacrificial) halyard a few inches into the mast and put a block on it. So now there's a block in the mast dangling about 4" down from the head. Then I took a length of rope and fixed it to the foot casting inside the mast. The line then goes up the mast, through the dangling block and back down the mast to it's usual exit point at the foot, then up to a cleat on the side of the mast. I'm not sure if this is 2:1 or 3:1. I'm thinking 3:1 because the block moves and the head of the sail moves. The only disadvantage so far is that I end up with quite a spool of line (60 ft) once the sail is up and it takes a little tangle avoidance. So far, so good - doesn't clatter when sailing or at anchor, no foul-ups yet, runs smoothly.
The other option I'm working on is to modify my gooseneck reefing hooks in order to keep the reefing ring in the hook without having to re-tension the halyard. That would allow me to put the halyard back in the cockpit and still cut out some of the backing and forthing that happens when reefing. The prototype is some little spring bales made of stainless wire and welded onto the gooseneck hook fitting that will act as retainers when the reefing ring is in them.
While I love to sail, I also really enjoy this tinkering and head scratching.