Main halyard replacement

I need to replace the main halyard assembly on my early 70's non comptip mast. It looks like I have to cut the old one as the ends won't fit through the masthead before removing it.
Could someone tell me if the new halyards will fit through the small opening or do I have to take apart the masthead to replace it?

You are correct that you'll have to cut the old halyard to remove it.

You have two options on a replacement:

- Get it with the thimble (rope) end unfinished and swage on the fitting yourself (or take it to a shop that has the tools) after threading through the masthead. You can get a hand swageing tool for about $25:


- Get the thimble end made without the thimble (just a loop of wire). You can then feed the loop through the masthead before tying on the rope end.

When I ordered my non-comptip replacement haylard it came with a wire looped end, just pushed right through. No problem. I think thats the way all the replacement haylards come.

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1981 H16.
1993 Macgregor 26S

Hmmmm... We got one earlier this month that was still unfinished on the one end. And I'm thinking that a non-thimbled wire loop is going to chafe through the halyard line much more quickly.

Once you get a few months on it, let us know how it's working out.

Brian C

The stock Hobie halyard is un-finished and uses a thimble. While installation of the kind described here may be a little easier, the long term effect is broken halyard lines as suggested by Brian.

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Matt Miller
Former - Director of Parts and Accessory Sales
Warranty and Technical Support
Hobie Cat USA
(Retired 11/7/2022)

Wow! Thanks for the heads up on the haylard line!! That could really ruin a day out! I'll keep a close "eye" on that eye and the line as well.

I read a question like this before and someone replied that their replacement haylard was a loop type, the same as mine. I then just took it for granted that it was possible most all replacements were this way. Didn't mean to misinform.

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1981 H16.
1993 Macgregor 26S

I'm wondering if what you got might not just be something the shop put together.

Since we've got a loft and service boats other than Hobie, we keep spools of wire, thimbles, sleeves and such laying around. It would not be tough to "copy" a wire like a non-comptip halyard. Building good wires is not rocket science. It just takes the proper tools and dimensions.

Brian C