Annie Hill wrote:I always flake down the halyard - never coil it, to help avoid twists.  Maybe you could just try turning it end for end - that might take the kinks out of it.  I'm sure you can't be using a  block that normally swivels, or you would have discovered this a lot sooner.  Possibly, however, you have blocks that can be permitted to swivel.  Garhauer, for example, have a little hex-head grub screw that you drive tight to prevent the block from roatating.  If this isn't put in with something like Loctite, it can work loose and allow the block to start turning.  Maybe you should check your blocks to see if this has occurred.

BTW, where are you now?  Any chance of writing up your adventures for the magazine?

Hi Annie

No my blocks do not swivel and I always flake down the halyard.  I have used both three strand and double braid.  The mystery is why now and not before...

I am in Indonesia and when I get a break in Malaysia I will write something. 

It happens with sheets, as well as halyards, and I think it's a question of how the tail of the sheet/halyard is stowed. It's easy to get turns in the line building up, and my solution is to incorporate a swivel at the bitter end of the line (that would be at the yard, with a 5:1 halyard). Never use a swivel-headed block, though, as this allows the whole of the halyard tackle to twist around itself and lock up. Is this what you're seeing?