"Wilbur Hubbard" wrote:
The wire halyards on my boat are over 25 years old and have yet to
develop the first meat hook.

You must not use them much, then. Any wire which is bent or compressed
(such as where it runs over a sheave) under strain will break strands.



1/8" is strong and durable enough for sailboats up to about
30 feet.

And over that?

1/8" stainless steel wire weighs less than an equivalent length
of 7/16 high tech fiber especially when the fiber gets wet.

Wire never gets wet?
I would like to see specs comparing the weight & strength of various
modern line versus wire.

Heck, why not use *chain* halyards? It's strong and much more flexible
than wire.


.... What
next? Toss your sails in the washing machine?

Nope, I used to spread mine out on a nice lawn. Invite some girls in
bikinis to help & roll around in the suds.

.... A sailboat's for sailing.
It's not for laundering.

That may be, but you have to clean stuff once in a while or it turns
into a filthy sludgy mess.


... Running ANY type of halyard inside a mast is
asking for problems.


No it isn't, it's just a higher level of technology. If you have the
tools, the materials, and the skills, internal halyards are no more
problem than external. Besides, Herreshoff used them!

.... As for wire sawing through things that's a
problem of crew neglect and improper runs.


I agree. Woe to us all, the world does not always function perfectly!

Fresh Breezes- Doug King