Replacing a halyard can be a tricky job. We offer you support - to some extent - by describing step by step how this could be done.
1 - Temporarily line
If you want to replace the halyard, it is sometimes only possible to determine the length by removing the old halyard and measure it - the safest way. To ensure that you can easily install the new halyard, it is best to attach a thin rope to the old halyard before retracting it out of the mast. A cheap polyester or polypropylene rope will do.
2 - Connect both lines.
Depending on the difference in diameter between the 2 lines, there are several ways to connect both lines. If the differences in diameter is no more than 30%, you can suffice with one of the knots described in our menu Knots - Bending two lines together.
If differences in diameter is higher, it is wiser to whip the two lines together. Please refer to the explanation of whipping.
3 - Removing the halyard.
It is the wisest to remove the halyard from the mast head down. The ensures that the temporary rope is also easy installed.
4 - Installation of the new halyard.
Installation of the new halyard has to be done in a similar way. Again, connecting the two lines as described above. The new halyard is inserted into the mast from below - to minimize the weight on the temp line as much as possible.
Good luck!
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