Halyard Testing?

[Bob Pingel]

Posted for Don Ferrell:

I have a fully rigged mast for a Cascade 44 which has never been stepped and has been stored on horses for several years exposed to the weather. I don't want to replace the halyards if I don't need to, can any one suggest a way to test the strength of these halyards?

Don Ferrell

[Brion Toss]

Hello,
So many variables. First, are these the right halyards for the boat, in terms of size, inelasticity, construction, and quality? Are they terminated correctly? The right lengths?
What do you mean by "several years"? What climate have they been in? Do they have any localized chafe or other damage? And so on.
Perhaps the best thing to do is to prepare a thorough description of what an ideal set of halyards would look like, then compare the result with what you have. If the real and the ideal are not too far apart, then make a physical assessment of their condition.
Fair leads,
Brion Toss