Improvisation is Key
Posted: Tue Aug 02, 2016 6:01 pm
My wife and I had a fun day on the water earlier in light 4-5 kt winds. We were very anxious to return to our vessel after learning of some pretty severe storms that passed through the area two evenings ago. We were even more anxious because we had just secured her to a new mooring that we had installed ourselves only hours before the storms came. The screw had been set the day before. Winds were gusting well over 30 and sustained well above 20 for a while. We trusted our work and waited out returning to the boat for a day, knowing this would be a common occurrence.
There must have been some substantial wind. As we arrived today, we first notice that the old, abandoned gas stations's pump shelter was a nothing more than a warped piece of metal. We pulled into the club to see several downed limbs. A Hobie 20 was flipped on the beach, its comptip shattered, but mast salvageable.
Other than that there was no damage to any other boats, including our new gal on the mooring. The water is warm, so I swam out to our boat.
Our mooring is the closest to open water and unfortunately our outboard is not working at the moment. (another discussion perhaps) The wind was pushing us toward open water, so I released the boat from the mooring and drifted outward in the very light winds.
I went to raise the main and realized.... the main halyard had come loose in the storm and run free of the mast. It was just piled up on the deck. Not the first of many rookie mistakes I'm sure. I must have not secured it well enough. I was angry with myself as this became apparent, alone on the boat, trying to get her to the dock to pick up my wife to which I would have to admit my rookieness. I used the spin halyard in reverse by tying a bowline to the head of the mainsail and hoisting her up. It gave me what I needed to dock the boat.
We went out for a nice sail; however, I still have a main halyard coiled up in my cabin.
My question of the day.... is there anyway I can run this thing through the top of the mast without dropping it? Can I pull one of my lightweight friends up to the top of the mast using a halyard and a full trapeeze harness? I don't have a bosun chair, but I could set up several fail-safes and hoist em up with couple of extra hands helping me out.
Do any of you use some sort of mast climber system to reach the top of the mast? Can this be done on this boat? I'm open to any and all suggestions on how to re-run the halyard. If dropping the mast is the best solution, I am OK with that as well. What can I do to prevent this in the future?
I usually tie the working end of the halyard with a bowline to an eye on the front the mast. It must have come loose in all of the wind.
There must have been some substantial wind. As we arrived today, we first notice that the old, abandoned gas stations's pump shelter was a nothing more than a warped piece of metal. We pulled into the club to see several downed limbs. A Hobie 20 was flipped on the beach, its comptip shattered, but mast salvageable.
Other than that there was no damage to any other boats, including our new gal on the mooring. The water is warm, so I swam out to our boat.
Our mooring is the closest to open water and unfortunately our outboard is not working at the moment. (another discussion perhaps) The wind was pushing us toward open water, so I released the boat from the mooring and drifted outward in the very light winds.
I went to raise the main and realized.... the main halyard had come loose in the storm and run free of the mast. It was just piled up on the deck. Not the first of many rookie mistakes I'm sure. I must have not secured it well enough. I was angry with myself as this became apparent, alone on the boat, trying to get her to the dock to pick up my wife to which I would have to admit my rookieness. I used the spin halyard in reverse by tying a bowline to the head of the mainsail and hoisting her up. It gave me what I needed to dock the boat.
We went out for a nice sail; however, I still have a main halyard coiled up in my cabin.
My question of the day.... is there anyway I can run this thing through the top of the mast without dropping it? Can I pull one of my lightweight friends up to the top of the mast using a halyard and a full trapeeze harness? I don't have a bosun chair, but I could set up several fail-safes and hoist em up with couple of extra hands helping me out.
Do any of you use some sort of mast climber system to reach the top of the mast? Can this be done on this boat? I'm open to any and all suggestions on how to re-run the halyard. If dropping the mast is the best solution, I am OK with that as well. What can I do to prevent this in the future?
I usually tie the working end of the halyard with a bowline to an eye on the front the mast. It must have come loose in all of the wind.