Desultor
New Member
Hi all,
Here's collected wisdom on the halyard from these forums, hopefully helpful to new folks like me. Perhaps it could live on in the Knowledge Base? Feel free to edit/correct. Enjoy!
-Jack.
Diameter
Standard is 3/16” = 5mm.
Length
Standard is 25 feet. An extra 3-5 feet is recommended, which helps if you raise the sail in knee-deep water.
Type
Spectra = Dyneema = HMPE = High Modulus Polyethelene
Cost and Where to Buy
Here’s some examples, but I’ve seen others used in this range:
Tape
White electrician’s tape or gaffer’s tape is recommended on the spar at or above the knot location, wrapped around the spar. The halyard ties around the tape. Black electrician’s tape isn’t recommended, as it gets gross in the sun. Tape provides extra friction for the halyard, and an obvious marker for locations. Some folks add a zip tie to the spar above and below the knot. The boat I bought had black electrician’s tape wrapped around the knot, and a metal hose clamp just in case! Not recommended.
Knot on Upper Spar
(Note that a "Mast cleat" can mean a cleat on the deck near the mast.) Without a cleat on the mast, the hoisted sail tries to push the mast through the mast step continually, and more in high wind. With a cleat, much of that load is transferred to the mast and cleat. 3 3/4” aluminum or nylon horn cleat is recommended, with stainless screws or aluminum pop rivets or better drive rivets. Keep everything aluminum to avoid corrosion. Use 3M 4200 or similar sealant between cleat and mast. Install it no higher than 48” from base of mast to keep class legal. If it’s too high you can’t reach it from waist-deep water. If it’s too low it will interfere with a recreational rig, and gets into the weak/stress area of the mast. Position it lined up with a halyard hole in the mast’s end cap. You’ll want to place the mast so the cleat is on the starboard side, assuming that’s where you stand when you raise the sail.
Raising the Sail
Verify the halyard is secure in place on the upper spar, then run the tail through the mast cap towards the cleat on the mast. Raise the sail mostly by pulling the halyard and lifting the gooseneck. Then tie a slip knot (or trucker’s hitch) in the halyard 2 feet above the cleat. Feed the tail through the knot, loop around the cleat, and pull down. This provides a 2-to-1 purchase to get the upper spar to the top of the mast easily. See Steve King’s excellent rigging video.
Tying Off
After securing the halyard to the cleat on the mast, be sure to continue the halyard to the deck. Through the fairlead, around mast and over gooseneck, back through the fairlead, and secured to the cleat on the deck. This is important so the sail and mast and rig aren’t offered to Davey Jones upon capsize.
Here's collected wisdom on the halyard from these forums, hopefully helpful to new folks like me. Perhaps it could live on in the Knowledge Base? Feel free to edit/correct. Enjoy!
-Jack.
Diameter
Standard is 3/16” = 5mm.
Length
Standard is 25 feet. An extra 3-5 feet is recommended, which helps if you raise the sail in knee-deep water.
Type
Spectra = Dyneema = HMPE = High Modulus Polyethelene
Cost and Where to Buy
- $0.38/foot for “5mm Robline Sirius 500 line” at West Coast Sailing
- $0.45/foot for “Samson XLS Yacht Braid” at SunfishSailboats.com
- $0.45/foot for “NE Ropes 5mm Finish Line” at Intensity Sails
- $0.54/foot for “Marlow Ropes Excel Pro Line” (their recreational recommendation) at Annapolis Performance Sailing
- $0.80/foot for “Laser Performance Sunfish Halyard” at Sunfish Direct
- $0.89/foot for “FSE Robline Dinghy Control Line, 3/16” (their racing recommendation) at Annapolis Performance Sailing
Here’s some examples, but I’ve seen others used in this range:
- 54” from the head (racing)
- 64” from the head (short Jens)
- 74” from the head (Jens/recreational)
- 84” from the head (“geezer”? Doesn’t play nice with a cleat on the mast.)
Tape
White electrician’s tape or gaffer’s tape is recommended on the spar at or above the knot location, wrapped around the spar. The halyard ties around the tape. Black electrician’s tape isn’t recommended, as it gets gross in the sun. Tape provides extra friction for the halyard, and an obvious marker for locations. Some folks add a zip tie to the spar above and below the knot. The boat I bought had black electrician’s tape wrapped around the knot, and a metal hose clamp just in case! Not recommended.
Knot on Upper Spar
- Clove Hitch (note the caution) “standard” per Sunfish Tuning Guide for Racers
- Boom Hitch “alternative” per Sunfish Tuning Guide for Racers
- Double Clove Hitch
- Rolling Hitch with stopper (note the caution)
- Icicle Hitch (note the praise)
- Thrice-run-through Bowline or Modified Barrel Hitch or is it a modified Prusik Knot?
(Note that a "Mast cleat" can mean a cleat on the deck near the mast.) Without a cleat on the mast, the hoisted sail tries to push the mast through the mast step continually, and more in high wind. With a cleat, much of that load is transferred to the mast and cleat. 3 3/4” aluminum or nylon horn cleat is recommended, with stainless screws or aluminum pop rivets or better drive rivets. Keep everything aluminum to avoid corrosion. Use 3M 4200 or similar sealant between cleat and mast. Install it no higher than 48” from base of mast to keep class legal. If it’s too high you can’t reach it from waist-deep water. If it’s too low it will interfere with a recreational rig, and gets into the weak/stress area of the mast. Position it lined up with a halyard hole in the mast’s end cap. You’ll want to place the mast so the cleat is on the starboard side, assuming that’s where you stand when you raise the sail.
Raising the Sail
Verify the halyard is secure in place on the upper spar, then run the tail through the mast cap towards the cleat on the mast. Raise the sail mostly by pulling the halyard and lifting the gooseneck. Then tie a slip knot (or trucker’s hitch) in the halyard 2 feet above the cleat. Feed the tail through the knot, loop around the cleat, and pull down. This provides a 2-to-1 purchase to get the upper spar to the top of the mast easily. See Steve King’s excellent rigging video.
Tying Off
After securing the halyard to the cleat on the mast, be sure to continue the halyard to the deck. Through the fairlead, around mast and over gooseneck, back through the fairlead, and secured to the cleat on the deck. This is important so the sail and mast and rig aren’t offered to Davey Jones upon capsize.
