Simon Wright
Today whilst doing all those odd jobs from my winter list I found an aluminium sheave at the base of the mast, or rather 2/3rds of it. My fear is that it is part of a now disintergrated mast head main halyard sheave but when I look aloft with binoculars I’m sure I can still see it atop the mast. All the other pulleys at the mast foot are ok.
Does anyone know what size the mast head sheave is? the bits I have suggest that the original sheave was approx 1.1/2″ diameter with a 5/8″ central bore and1/2″ across the face. Other than trying to be tarzan and shimmy up the mast any simple way of checking if the sheave is still in place without dropping the mast?
Hope you can suggest a solution.
Martin Hartley
Try moving the halyards each in turn, but with a load on them. That may give an indication as to which one has disintergrated since the damaged one will have much more friction than the others. Don’t forget to do the spinny pole uphaul also.
Cheers,
Martin Hartley
Tech Rep.
Tom Vallois
In Jersey we wait until a low tide and go alongside the gangway in the marina, positioning the boat so the top of the mast is at the same level as the gangaway. If you have a marina and enough space on low tide give it a go, its simple and quick but make sure you do it in light ish winds.
Tom V