How do you handle your stays, halyards and trap lines?

When handling you mast on your shoulder or while on the trailer, does anyone have any brilliant method to control all of the halyards, stays, trap-lines and other items that dangle from it?

No matter what I do, there is always one that is loose and which dangles in what looks like a disorganised mess.

Regards Geoff

I solo lift my mast often. I use three bungees to ensure a smooth, no-tangle lift.

Halyards - leave them tied to the mast cleats

Forstay - With the hinge pin in and the mast horizontal prior to lifting, grab the forstay where it connects to the mast tang and walk around the boat sliding it through your palm. Put one end of a four foot bungee through the forstay eye and the other end of the bungee on the bridle. This will ensure the forestay does not tangle when the mast is lifted.

Stays - I bundle the stay with both port trapeze lines, hook a three foot bungee onto the bundle and the other end of the bungee to the dolphin striker. Repeat on starboard stay. This prevents any stay hang ups during mast lift.

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1980 18 foot class A Unicorn catamaran
1977 Super Sunfish (sold)
1979 Hobie (sold)
1983 Hobie 16 Hawiian Sunset (sold)
1981 Hobie 16 Tequilla Sunrise (sold)
2008 Hobie 16 (sold)
2023 Hobie 16
Founding member of the "San Dimas Yacht Club"
John

jsloan pretty much covered it. I'd like to add that for trailering or storing I use plastic tie straps (zip ties) whatever you want to call them, on just about everything. I coil up all the wires and use lots of ties to make everything nice and tidy.

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1990 "Formula 1" H16 (# 009)

For trailering and storing I use about 6 inches of heavy coated copper or aluminum wire. I don't know what gauge, but it's pretty thick. I ues them like twist ties. I use a longer piece to secure my mast to the mast support on the trailer. It's probably as good as zip ties and better than bungies. I've been useing these wires for years with no problems.

I raise the mast solo and the biggest problem is having the shrouds or wires hook under the rear corner castings. I found a simple method to prevent it. I hook the hiking wires bungees around the front corner castings. I then drape the shrouds over the wires to the inside. I don't worry about the forestay. It usually hangs down after the mast is up and is easy to get to. I tie a line about 8' long to the the bridle and tie the other end to the jib halyard. Once the mast is up, I lean into it while I reach down, uncleat the jib halyard and pull it tight to hold the mast up. For trailering, I coil the shrouds, wires and forestays in two bundles, one on either side, then combine them and tie them to the tramp lacing.

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Howard

Get some large pinch clip things from the office supply store. The ones you would clip like TONS of paper together with then fold the wire handles over... triangle shaped... u know what I mean.

Anyway, clip your trapeze and shrouds very loosely to the trampoline with these. The wires will run through them as you raise the mast. Once there is nothing left to slip through they just pop right off the tramp, onto the wire, and slide down to the bottom for you to collect when the mast is up. Very simple and haven't had a single hang up solo raising the mast since.

I used to be really good at draping the wires where they need to go but one big gust of wind can really screw this method up! The clips are simple, quick, and easy. They add about 30 seconds of prep time and prevent 100% of hang ups on the rear corners.

For the halyard... well I just do whatever. Typically pull it down as far as it needs to go and just bungee it to mast so it stays out of way.

To store them on trailer I simply unshackle them from the mast, unscrew them from the lip, and store all the hardware neatly wound up on top of the tramp with a couple bungee cords to hold in place. This keeps all your hardware from rattling around... which is bad for shackles and hardware anyway.

tchilds clip idea - very cool!!

I will try this at the lake tomorrow.

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1980 18 foot class A Unicorn catamaran
1977 Super Sunfish (sold)
1979 Hobie (sold)
1983 Hobie 16 Hawiian Sunset (sold)
1981 Hobie 16 Tequilla Sunrise (sold)
2008 Hobie 16 (sold)
2023 Hobie 16
Founding member of the "San Dimas Yacht Club"
John

I have to store my boat/trailer in my garage after each use (per HOA rules). Since the mast is too long to stay on the trailer when in the garage, I have to take it off and place it along the inside back wall of the garage.

To control the shrouds, forestays, etc. I use 12 inch "Sail Ties with Yellow Ball Ends" by Star Brite which I picked up at West Marine. They are like double bungee cords without the hooks and won't rust and can be easily put on or popped off. I usually put 6 of them on the mast before I pull the pin (phillips screwdriver) out of the mast step link and then lift the mast off of the tramp onto the trailer supports.

They keep the shrouds and forestay straight so they don't get kinked.

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Tim
84 H16
82 H16
87 H14T
Tortola Sails: 115222
Blue Prism Sails: 88863
Clearwater, FL

I said halyard but I meant the shrouds sry =P The halyard never really gave me any problems actually. I just make sure it doesn't run up the mast and all is good =P

Thanks to all that responded.

This is a great forum.

Regards Geoff

For keeping all the wires together after you coil them when you leave the beach or lake there is nothing easier than these things.

http://www.cableclamp.com/Sea-Clamp-Information.html

Home depot sells them as well, under a different brand. The smallest size is a little less than two dollars if memory serves me. Simple, cheap, and effective.

I actually use velcro straps to secure the "cable coils" ..

..after I drop the mast and get it in place on the trailer, I'll gather the port shroud and trap lines and coil them, then the starboard shroud, trap, and forestay and coil... for each coil I'll use about 3 velcro straps to keep the coils to about a 1.5ft diameter, then use a velcro strap to secure the coils together just under the mast, resting on the trampoline ... I'm sure chip clips would work the same, but the velcro may hold up better in the weather ?

has anyone else used velcro ? It's been working great for me

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'99 WAVE
Gulf Breeze, FL

I coil the shrouds and trap wires as you describe but then simply stack the two coils and tie them with a short piece of rope to the tramp lacing up front. I never disconnect the shrouds from the hull. That same piece of rope is used to tie the throwable life preserver required here in NC when sailing. I tie it under the tramp behind the dolphin striker. I have been doing it this way for 25 years, probably because that is the way I received the boat when I bought it new in '85.

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Howard