Commodore's Tip -- Rigging Mistake Recovery

We've all done it at one time or another.  We put up the mast, or do
some rigging work, only to discover after getting back on deck that a
halyard or other piece of running rigging is led between the upper
shroud and mast over the wrong side of the spreader.  If you haul the
halyard high enough to clear the spreader, the weight of the halyard on
the downhaul side will pull the shackle to the top of the mast.  (Resist
the temptation to tie a heavy weight to the shackle.   Even if it's
heavy enough to keep the halyard from two-blocking itself and pull it
back to the deck, how do you get it to swing to the right side of the
spreader?)

 

Instead of going up the mast in the bosun's chair to pull the halyard
onto the correct side of the spreader, or undoing the rig and lowering
the mast, try this.  Throw a light heaving line over the spreader from
the side where the halyard should be.  (It's easier to do this on the
dock, instead of standing on the bow or stern.)  Tie the heaving line to
the errant halyard, hoist the halyard until clear of the spreader, then
use the other end of the  heaving line to haul it to the correct side
and  back to the deck.

 

(Submitted by David Dickinson)