I am currently in the throes of rerigging Second Wind.

The mast head has an integrated spinnaker halyard crane (see pics) with a U bolt port and stbd allowing for port and stbd spinnaker halyards, however only the port halyard is fitted. It has an entry and exit slot.

There is en entry slot for the stbd halyard but no exit slot near the base and no spare turning block for it.

If I fit a stbd spinnaker halyard it will have to be external and is best if I fit it now before raising the mast.

Presently I have only an assymetrical kite which will be tacked just in front of the forestay which will make it near impossible to gybe unless I put a continuous furler on it.

The question is "Is it worthwhile for me to fit a stbd spinnaker halyard??"

Having the crane means it is unlikely a spinnaker halyard will rub on the forestay. The yacht is mainly for cruising and if I get speed from the assymetrical it is unlikely I will get a symetrical kite.

All opinions welcome.

Mast head before rerigging. The fair lead has been removed as I am not reinstalling the furler. Port jib halyard is now spectra. Stbd is double braid as is spinnaker halyard.


Alloy sheaves have been replaced with nylon sheaves and all pins at the mast head have been replaced with nyloc nutted bolts.


The new masthead tri/anchor light is a sealed LED unit made by the Clipper Instrument people in the UK and supplied by Bottom Line Marine from The Isle of Man at a cost of $250 delivered. You will find them on Ebay. It only needs dual core wire and comes with a reversing polarity switch for tri or anchor lighting.



The port side anchor chock appears to be an add on. I am thinking the assymetrical will have to be tacked from the tip of the inside plate of the port chock if I am to have room for a continuous furler.

Thanks Andy. I had thought of that but a flapping around mouse line would probably be just as annoying.

I'd have the extra line there, if only for emergencies - always handy having another line up the mast.

Love the tricolour too by the way - and that's a pretty popular price!

shaggybaxter said..
Hi Cisco,
I would run it, a mouse is a good idea.
Murphys law mate, if you don't run it, the very first outing will be magical running conditions, and your only halyard will magically undo itself and disappear overboard.
Edit: like one of my spinnaker sheets did..grr....

Murphes law strikes again. I had a similar setup to Cisco, ran a mouse on the spare spinnaker block and in a stiff breeze it somehow skipped the sheave and jammed - then parted when I tried a little too hard to haul it down and ended up flying from the mast head, threatening to jam the main halyard. All in that stiff breeze when you definitely don't want to be going up the mast of a small boat. I guess I get an A for careless, but Murphey takes no prisoners.

Don't get why you won't be able to outside gybe the Assy? Have you priced a top down furler?
I wouldn't bother with second halyard unless you can run it inside the mast by fitting another exit plate, the slapping will annoy the crap out of you.

Thanks for all responses. Hasn't somebody strangled that Murphy bastard yet??

I am inclined to fit the stbd halyard and as FreeRad suggests, cut an exit slot to run it internal. I will need to stagger the position of the slot so as to not weaken the mast in one area.

Threading the new halyard will be fun. I have threaded a 55 foot mast previously with only one mouse to start with so I guess I can rise to this challenge.

We outside gybe assys that have a tack pulley hooked to the bail that takes the jib tack, no problems.

Threading the new line will be easy if you just connect it to the existing halyard, won't it?

'Cause your mast is vertical, it would be easy to send a length of straightened fencing wire up the hole, mouse attached,
and fish it out at the slit with a short wire.
Just like a rigger did it on mine.
And don't forget to change that white cable tie for a UV stable black one and double it up.

Does it really need a cable tie there at all???
That is how it came.

No load at all. The biggest likely hazard up there will be "playful cockatoos". Fortunately not too many of them around Bundaberg but they cause thousands of dollars worth of damage to yachts at Hamilton Island. Wind sensors, wiring and halyards.