On my new (used) boat, that has been sailed really hard for most of it's life, I figured the main halyard would be a nuisance. At the top of the mast is a sheave that over time will get rutted out. See pictures below for new vs old.
The sheave is only held in by a phillps screw with a barrel nut on the end. To remove the old one takes 10-15 minutes. All you need is:
- Vice grips
- Two phillips screwdrivers
- Flat head screwdriver to help coerce the old one out
When installing the new one:
- Order the new "Main Phenolic Sheave" from Melges for $55 >> http://www.melges.com/?p=store/details&sku=12753&cat=154
- Match up the removed sheave and new sheave to drill a hole for the new set screw. Melges does send a replacement screw and barrel nut with the new sheave
- Line up the holes and attach! (Don't forget to make sure the main halyard is how it's supposed to be!)
A very easy fix that is very worth it. I know we would have liked to know about this last year with the old boat....