Rope overhaul and cleaning halyards

We got a bunch of different kind of ropes for the rig when we bought the boat, but most of them ha been laying outside on the mast for several years and needed an overhaul and to be cleaned. We went over the halyards in search for weaknesses in the ropes and wires. Then we started cleaning the halyards. Some of the halyards are made entirely of rope and those we cleaned in a washing machine, just a normal 40 degree wash (celsius) with less centrifugation than an ordinary washing program. We added vinegar essence as fabric softener, which makes the fabric soft, without wearing them out to much.

Unfortunately the blue rope (which is the topping lift for the main mast) had a small damage, which we had noticed before putting it into the washing machine. We had hoped that it wouldn’t be so bad but after a tour in the washing machine it was clear that we need a new topping lift. The rest of the rope looks fine so we can cut the bad piece off and use the rest of the rope for something else.

The halyards that are both rope and wire can obviously not be cleaned in a washing machine. We cleaned them using regular soap and Vanish to get rid of the algae.

Our furling system has a continuous loop rope to furle in and out. The old loop rope had a damage and needed to be replaced. We bought a new rope and made a loop out of it.

We also made a new lazy jack, since the old was dirty and broken. We made the new one out of pretty thin rope. Finally we also changed the lower lines of the guardrail, since there weren’t much material left on the old one.

Next post will be about the final preparations before rigging the masts, the mast stepping and our first trimming of the masts.