While re-rigging the mast on my M17 after it sat in my brother's yard for 15 years, I found that the halliards would were jammed inside the mast. It took several hours to remove the accumulated nesting material from the mast using an electrician's fish tape with hooks taped to the end. The stuff was packed 8 feet into the base of the mast and filled a 5 gallon bucket halfway. A good pressure washing cleared the remaining bit of junk. I made a wooden plug to put into the foot of the mast to stop future intruders when the mast is down. I spliced on new rope tails and fished them through the turning blocks to the outside of the mast. Removing the bolt through the mast that holds the spreader brackets simplified the job. I then put a conduit of thin PVC tubing into the mast to prevent the halliards from chafing the wiring for the new masthead tricolor and the steaming light and another for the VHF antenna coax. I had a new masthead extension (similar to the one on flush deck M17 Amy) fabricated so the backstay will clear the roach of the full batten main and gives a nice long flat top for the windvane, tricolor masthead light and VHF antenna to be clear of each other. The moral of this story is that the open end of a mast is an open invitation for critters to nest. Ron M17 #14 (fin keel) Griselda _________________________________________________________________ Access your email online and on the go with Windows Live Hotmail. http://windowslive.com/Explore/Hotmail?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_hotmail_acq_access_...
Ron, Another interesting find in my mast was a good sized nest of yellowjackets. Steve On Nov 26, 2008, at 8:34 AM, Ronnie Keeler wrote:
While re-rigging the mast on my M17 after it sat in my brother's yard for 15 years, I found that the halliards would were jammed inside the mast. It took several hours to remove the accumulated nesting material from the mast using an electrician's fish tape with hooks taped to the end. The stuff was packed 8 feet into the base of the mast and filled a 5 gallon bucket halfway. A good pressure washing cleared the remaining bit of junk. I made a wooden plug to put into the foot of the mast to stop future intruders when the mast is down.
I spliced on new rope tails and fished them through the turning blocks to the outside of the mast. Removing the bolt through the mast that holds the spreader brackets simplified the job. I then put a conduit of thin PVC tubing into the mast to prevent the halliards from chafing the wiring for the new masthead tricolor and the steaming light and another for the VHF antenna coax. I had a new masthead extension (similar to the one on flush deck M17 Amy) fabricated so the backstay will clear the roach of the full batten main and gives a nice long flat top for the windvane, tricolor masthead light and VHF antenna to be clear of each other.
The moral of this story is that the open end of a mast is an open invitation for critters to nest.
Ron M17 #14 (fin keel) Griselda
_________________________________________________________________ Access your email online and on the go with Windows Live Hotmail. http://windowslive.com/Explore/Hotmail? ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_hotmail_acq_access_112008 _______________________________________________ http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/montgomery_boats
Quick question. Would cam cleats mounted on the cabin top be substantial enough to serve as a clutch for the main halyard?? I was planning on putting a block at the base of the mast with a turning block on the cabin top and then running it aft through a cam cleat. I haven't had any problems just reaching over the cabin hatch to cleat the halyard off on the mast cleat, but started thinking about what I would do in an extreme emergency and needed to drop the main in a split second. Thanks, Joe
Joe, The quick answer is, ... why not? The cam cleat should hold the main halyard load with no problem. My concern is about the sailor's constant companion, Murphy, and his influence ....... Murphy is always looking for a chance to screw things up for you, and a main halyard on a cam cleat sure sounds like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Mr. Murphy to wreak maximum havoc at the most inopportune moments. Just think, the weather is deteriorating; the sea is building; you want to down size the head sail .... and add a reef; but then, just when you least expect it, Murphy dislodges your main halyard from it's cam cleat; and the main falls (were you expecting that to happen in view of all your other problems...?) about your ears..... I would rather have a regular cleat for a halyard, one that isn't begging Murphy to try meddling - and you know Murphy, he only does his dirty work at the worst possible moment. Why give him a chance....? Connie Joe Murphy wrote:
Quick question. Would cam cleats mounted on the cabin top be substantial enough to serve as a clutch for the main halyard?? I was planning on putting a block at the base of the mast with a turning block on the cabin top and then running it aft through a cam cleat. I haven't had any problems just reaching over the cabin hatch to cleat the halyard off on the mast cleat, but started thinking about what I would do in an extreme emergency and needed to drop the main in a split second. Thanks, Joe
_______________________________________________ http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/montgomery_boats
participants (4)
-
chbenneck＠sbcglobal.net -
Joe Murphy -
Ronnie Keeler -
Steve and Diana Parsons