Main halyard taper

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   Has anyone tapered their main halyard? I've got Maffioli Powergrip 8mm on there but have a nasty cover tear about halfway along that I haven't been able to repair well enough for it to last and it gets stuck in the clutch as we hoist and drop.  
So I'm considering stripping the cover off from the point of the tear onwards.  The problem is that the cover tear is about 45 feet from the end of the line, so I think if I strip the cover off that entire 45 feet, when the sail is hoisted the coverless part of the line will still be in the clutch.

Does anyone know the maximum amount of core you can have exposed on the main halyard and still have it grab in the cabin top clutch?  The mast I think is about 35 feet high and if we account for about 5 feet of run from the base of the mast to the cabin top clutch, this means a max of about 40 feet of exposed core?  Does this sound about right?

If this is the case then stripping to cover off my line won't work because I have more than 40 feet at either end after the cover damage.

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Winner Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Commodore Joined: 07 September 2011 Status: Offline Points: 222	Post Options Post Reply Quote Winner Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Topic: Main halyard taper Posted: 02 December 2019 at 12:16am
	Has anyone tapered their main halyard? I've got Maffioli Powergrip 8mm on there but have a nasty cover tear about halfway along that I haven't been able to repair well enough for it to last and it gets stuck in the clutch as we hoist and drop. So I'm considering stripping the cover off from the point of the tear onwards. The problem is that the cover tear is about 45 feet from the end of the line, so I think if I strip the cover off that entire 45 feet, when the sail is hoisted the coverless part of the line will still be in the clutch. Does anyone know the maximum amount of core you can have exposed on the main halyard and still have it grab in the cabin top clutch? The mast I think is about 35 feet high and if we account for about 5 feet of run from the base of the mast to the cabin top clutch, this means a max of about 40 feet of exposed core? Does this sound about right? If this is the case then stripping to cover off my line won't work because I have more than 40 feet at either end after the cover damage.
	Chris Eclipse #240 Thunder Bay, ON

Bill Layton Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Commodore Joined: 15 September 2002 Location: Canada Status: Offline Points: 551	Post Options Post Reply Quote Bill Layton Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 02 December 2019 at 8:34am
	The original main halyard had 38 feet of wire on it. It was designed so that the wire would exit the mast at full hoist and the wire to rope splice would lie between the mast base and the deck organizer. But that 38' of wire used 4" to nicropress the wire around the shackle and it took into account the the length of the splice approx. 12". The actual wire length once assembled was approx. 38' minus 16". The total length was 83'. If your halyard is the same overall length then there isn't enough cover left to make it work but if it's a longer halyard then you could move the cover some. Trying to splice an older halyard can be impossible so don't feel bad if you can't get it to work. If you want to know for sure what your options are for that halyard call Alex Nemet at Evolution Yachting in Montreal 438-887-9845 and let him know you are a client and request his advice, tell him I suggested you contact him. This man can splice nearly anything, if not perhaps he has a method to make it work for now. Edited by Bill Layton - 02 December 2019 at 8:44am

Winner Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Commodore Joined: 07 September 2011 Status: Offline Points: 222	Post Options Post Reply Quote Winner Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 02 December 2019 at 1:06pm
	My total length right now is 96 feet, so maybe I have enough to get the job done even if I need to shorten it by 5 feet or so. Yeah I know splicing an old halyard can be a pain, but this is just a bury splics so maybe wouldn't be too bad. Thanks for the advice Bill.
	Chris Eclipse #240 Thunder Bay, ON

Bill Layton Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Commodore Joined: 15 September 2002 Location: Canada Status: Offline Points: 551	Post Options Post Reply Quote Bill Layton Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 02 December 2019 at 2:35pm
	Or go buy a piece of 5/16" double braid polyester line for cheap and use that cover.

frfletch Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Commodore Joined: 13 May 2008 Location: Canada Status: Offline Points: 365	Post Options Post Reply Quote frfletch Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 29 December 2019 at 1:21pm
	Chris, I would shorten from the masthead end by first hooking the shackle to wherever you store it without the sail on (perhaps you use the spinnaker ring) then pull it through from the masthead end until you have sufficient line coming through the clutch. You don't need much to reach the spinnaker ring, just enough to grab, because when you attach the ultimate end to the top of the mainsail when stacked on the boom, it will be higher than that spinnaker ring and should give you enough halyard tail to initially yank the sail high enough to get the halyard on the winch, etc. Then cut the end off and put your new eye splice on it. If you still don't have enough cover to do it that way, try slipping the over you have further along the halyard from the tail end and see if you can move the entire sleeve sufficiently too get it to go past the clutch with the halyard in the "sail hoisted position, but allowing for your reef(s). You don't really need a full halyard jacket all the way on the tail end of the tail end of the halyard.