I have internal halyards, and plan to replace them soon. I know it's not rocket science, but what is best method of pulling the new ones through? I think I had read that you would sew the new line to the old? Is it safer to pull up through the mast base, or down from the mast head?

I am looking at prespliced StaSet X. It has a Flemish eye on one end. What is this used for?

__________________
"Everybody has to believe in something. I believe I'll have another beer."
--W.C. Fields

Hunter 36
s/v FUGUE
Kemah, Tx.

Some use eyes in halyards for shackles or connecting to wire.

A flemish eye is a method of braiding an eye, generally in cable or stranded rope. As far as I know a flemish eye splice cannot be done with braided line. I googled and couldnt find anything other than a fishing knot. Post a link if you can.

Here ya go Jim.


West Marine: Prespliced Sta-Set X Main Halyards Product Display

I'll post it and see if it works. These are what I was thinking of using. Let me know what you think.

Ralph

__________________
"Everybody has to believe in something. I believe I'll have another beer."
--W.C. Fields

Hunter 36
s/v FUGUE
Kemah, Tx.

StaSet X makes for great halyards with low stretch. Good choice!

You'll be getting (I assume, as BA mentioned too) a standard eye splice on this parallel core line. Not sure what the flemish means in West Marine's literature:

New England Ropes - Splicing Guide

If you are going to have the splices put in before you take delivery of the line, you will have to run the non-spliced end of the new line *up* the mast from the outside, following your old line through the mast and back down again. Make sure your old line is just a bitter end sewn to the new line with a few stitches - don't send anything larger than the diameter of your line through the sheaves and mast.

You can't put the eye splice into the mast and send her up to the top to go through the sheaves. It'll jam up pretty bad. So... if you have the pre-spliced line, you are pretty much limited to running the new line up the outside of the mast first, then down the inside as you finish pulling the old line out.

Good GOD this is hard to put into words. Did this make sense??

When I change out a halyard I take a piece of small stuff and poke it through the bitter end of the halyard and make a small loop and then tie a small messenger line to the loop. Then take the shackle end of the halyard and pull it until the messenger comes out. Now take the new halyard and poke some small stuff through the halyard and make a loop and tie the messenger to it and then pull the messenger out the mast exit which will bring the bitter end of the new halyard out the mast exit.

The little loops at the end of halyards come in handy for messengers... if you remove them in the winter.

Sully, thanks. It mostly makes sense. I see what you are saying...don't run the spliced shackle end up through the exit at the base. But if I buy the pre-spliced shown in the link above, it has that Flemish eye at the cockpit end. Is that just a way to finish off that end of the line?

__________________
"Everybody has to believe in something. I believe I'll have another beer."
--W.C. Fields

Hunter 36
s/v FUGUE
Kemah, Tx.

buy this and use a knot. This way you can reverse your halyards and get more wear out of them.

On 7/16" this is $80.00 cheaper for 110'

West Marine: Sta-Set X Polyester Double Braid Product Display

That's a damn good question, Ralph.

Based on the literature you show a link to, it does say that there is a Wichard shackle on one of the "Flemish" eyes and an open "flemish" eye on the other end. I think we may have all missed that. That means you can do as BA suggested and reverse these pre-spliced lines to get more wear out of them - assuming the "flemish eye" will pass through your mast with ease. I guess WM must assume this, since this line has the flemish eye on both sides.

So... if you go for these, ask the WM worker about how to get the "flemish" eye through the sheaves and mast without it tripping up.

Looking more closely at the picture, I think they intend you to pass this eye through the mast since they have it on both ends of the halyard. See what the WM guys says about that. It's not common to do it this way, but I suppose it's easier if you don't have fids and know how to do an eye splice.

So to answer your original questions again, with this new info:

It appears you can take this line from either end (take the shackle off of course) and feed it through the mast any way you choose. It's a symmetrical line with small eye (flemish) splices on each end.

As to what direction to pull it through (up the inside or down the inside), it doesn't matter. I'd go with pulling it down the inside, so I could rattle the line in case it hangs up on something. Seems like 6 of one, half dozen of another with the line being completely symmetrical and having splices on both ends.

Thanks guys. I just like doing things right the first time, and in this case it's not going to be fun if it doesn't go right. As far as sewing the ends together, just use some heavy thread? I'll trust the First Mate to do her thing while I drink a beer...hehehe.

__________________
"Everybody has to believe in something. I believe I'll have another beer."
--W.C. Fields

Hunter 36
s/v FUGUE
Kemah, Tx.

Good plan! Doing things wrong on boats can eat up all your money! ha ha

This is the stuff you normally use to create whippings on the ends of lines and to reinforce various areas:


Whipping Twine

It's not *absolutely* necessary for a quick job like you're doing, but it brings the expenses of your boat down quite a bit once you get used to splicing and whipping all your own lines. That way, you don't need to buy anything "pre-spliced."

Any similar size/strength twine/string will do the trick for your temporary application. The whipping twine is waxed.