Catalina 350 International Association

I plan to switch halyards when I go up the mast to change out the VHF antenna cable this weekend. The halyard that holds up the roller furler runs through a "keeper" that redirects the halyard away from the top of the furling gear. Since the end of my halyard will not pass through this loop, I plan to remove it, switch halyards, and put it back. Question: Does anyone know how this is attached?? Bolts, srews, rivets? How does it come off. ?

If you are just trying to replace the halyard with new, you don't really have to take that keeper off, and you can put in a new halyard from the deck. (This same method can be used to re-configure lines at the mast head, but you have to go up there!)

First, take some older sacrificial line, at least twice the height of the mast, and the same diameter or slightly less than the existing halyard. Do an end-end flemmish? splice with some thread and a needle, joining the sacrificial line to the free (cockpit)end of the existing halyard.

From the bow, carefully pull down the old halyard, (removing the headsail) which will pull the sacrificial line into the mast. Keep pulling until you have the splice in your hand at the bow. Separate the old halyard, and then splice together the free end of the new halyard and sacrificial line the same way (end-to-end) with the needle & thread.

Now go to the base of the mast, and pull the sacrificial line back out, which will pull the new halyard back through the normal path inside the mast. Separate the sacrificial line and you're done!


Hope this helps.
Don Jones, C350 #13, Onatop
Oak Island / Southport, NC

The keeper is attached with huge bronze rivets. There is no easy way to remove them. Since I also wanted to raise my jib furler attachment up higher than the keeper, I just switched halyards while I was up there. This accomplished what i wanted to do in hiding/exposing new sections of the halyards, and tightening up on the jib luff.