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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

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Seaway Blocks

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awetmore
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1144 Posts

Initially Posted - 08/01/2012 : 18:42:55

My boat, like many C-25's, has Seaway brand fiddle blocks for the mainsheet and vang.

They are pretty rough. I brought them home and stuck them in the ultrasonic cleaner hoping that I could get them running more smoothly, but I haven't had much luck. They are riveted together, so a proper cleaning and overhaul would require drilling out the rivets and replacing them with bolts.

Is it worth it, or were the bearings in these blocks always rough and I should start looking at replacements? I normally prefer to repair instead of replace...

alex

Alex W
Seattle, WA
Express 37 "re-Quest"
previously owned 1984 Catalina 25 "Lutra"

Edited by - on

awetmore
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1144 Posts

Response Posted - 08/01/2012 : 18:47:53

Well, I have to report that the second batch of blocks that I'm cleaning in the ultrasonic cleaner are coming out better. Maybe the fiddle + cam cleat + becket block that I tried from the boom vang first was just overloaded and damaged at some point.

Another annoyance is that these blocks use a non-standard spacing for cam cleats (it is 1-5/8" instead of 1-1/2"), but modifying that to make nicer cam cleats fit is not too hard.

Edited by - on

dlucier
Master Marine Consultant

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Virgin Islands (United Kingdom)
7583 Posts

Response Posted - 08/02/2012 : 09:26:04

Over time, I've replaced every block on my boat with the exception of the original Seaway fiddle block w/cam cleat from the old mainsheet which is now used on my vang. Pretty good for a 32 year old block.

Edited by - on

awetmore
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1144 Posts

Response Posted - 08/02/2012 : 09:42:36

Did you change your vang to 3:1 from 4:1? The original vang on my boat is 4:1 (so fiddle + becket + cam cleat) while the mainsheet is 3:1 (fiddle + cam cleat, no becket).

I think I'm going to replace both sets of blocks. I'll use Garhaurer or Lewmar Syncro for the vang, Harken for the mainsheet. I'd use Garhaurer everywhere if they had an adjustable release angle for the cam cleats, the only angle that they offer isn't right for the mainsheet. Since the mainsheet is in constant use I'll spend the money for the best option there. The vang mostly sees static loads, so the plain bearings in the Lewmar blocks seem like they may be appropriate.

My Seaway vang blocks will probably end up turning into a 4:1 adjustable backstay. I currently have the stock setup that doesn't work all that well. My Seaway mainsheet fiddle block is having enough trouble that I think I'll stop using it.

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delliottg
Former Mainsheet C250 Tech Editor

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USA
4479 Posts

Response Posted - 08/02/2012 : 09:48:37

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">My Seaway mainsheet fiddle block is having enough trouble that I think I'll stop using it.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

If it's still mostly functional, you might consider turning it into a 3:1 or 4:1 "[url="http://www.diy-wood-boat.com/Handy-Billy.html"]handy-billy[/url]" block & tackle if you've got another fiddle & becket or just a block. They can be pretty handy at times. I keep one in my sail bag. I've always thought I could rig it to the end of the boom to hoist someone out of the water if necessary, or more prosaically, lower & raise my Magma Rock-n-Roll plate.

Edited by - delliottg on 08/02/2012 10:08:42

awetmore
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1144 Posts

Response Posted - 08/02/2012 : 10:34:06

I'm trying to keep less heavy stuff just living on the boat all the time, but it would work for something like that. The cam-cleat portion is what is dead on that block, it's been bent from high loads and the Seaway cam-cleats suck anyway. It's bad enough that it isn't worth putting a new camcleat on. I'll have to think about how I'd use it to decide if I'd need it. The vang comes off so quickly and is already rigged that way that it could act as one in a pinch.

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pastmember
Master Marine Consultant

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2402 Posts

Response Posted - 08/02/2012 : 11:58:37

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by awetmore
 I normally prefer to repair instead of replace...

alex
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

You are missing out on a lot.

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awetmore
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1144 Posts

Response Posted - 08/02/2012 : 12:15:31

Frank: Could you provide more details? Especially based on my more recent message which lists what I plan on replacing the blocks with?

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dmpilc
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4593 Posts

Response Posted - 08/02/2012 : 13:18:28

I moved my Seaway main sheet blocks to the boom vang and bought Harken blocks for the main sheet, a standard fiddle block with cam and becket at the traveler and a single Carbo Airblock with becket at the boom end.

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dlucier
Master Marine Consultant

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Virgin Islands (United Kingdom)
7583 Posts

Response Posted - 08/02/2012 : 13:53:28

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by awetmore
 Did you change your vang to 3:1 from 4:1? The original vang on my boat is 4:1 (so fiddle + becket + cam cleat) while the mainsheet is 3:1 (fiddle + cam cleat, no becket).<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Actually, I added a doubling block to make it a 6:1 vang.

Edited by - on

John Russell
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3444 Posts

Response Posted - 08/02/2012 : 16:14:21

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by pastmember
 <blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by awetmore
 I normally prefer to repair instead of replace...

alex
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

You are missing out on a lot.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">If you're ready to replace them, you've nothing to lose by attempting repair first.

Edited by - on

awetmore
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1144 Posts

Response Posted - 08/03/2012 : 12:46:17

The new Harken mainsheet blocks are very nice. I really like the adjustable cleating angle on the Harken Carboblock, it was the most adjustable of the options easily available (Harken, Lewmar, Garhauer, Ronstan, Schaefer). Normally I like the Garhauer stuff, but their complete lack of adjustment here is a problem for how the mainsheet is arranged on the C-25. I noticed that the Capri 22 that I sometimes sail on also came stock with Garhauer almost everywhere, but used Harken on the mainsheet.

I used Lewmar Synchro on my vang, in the 72mm size (which seems overly large on this boat, but the 60mm size wouldn't have worked with the 7/16"/11mm line that we have run as our vang). I stuck with the 4:1 purchase that is stock. The plain bearing Synchro blocks seemed well suited to the high static loads that a vang sees. The shackles on the Lewmar blocks couldn't fit through the boom vang hound, I had to use the ones that were on the older Seaway blocks.

I took them out for a 2 hour sail last night and the new blocks were a nice (but expensive) addition.

Edited by - on

pastmember
Master Marine Consultant

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2402 Posts

Response Posted - 08/03/2012 : 20:34:44

I think sailing hardware is a remarkable melding of engineering, technology, and jewelry. Garhauer are nice bling but are too inelegant to be bought as a "best" of a product, they are a good value though. I have very little experience with Lewmar products other than our little winches. Harken is always the best to me if technology and engineering are the two controlling factors. Schafer is my choice if engineering and beauty are my primary objective. I tended to buy Harken for hardware that used bearings and Schaefer for products that used bushings. Clutches are an improvement over stoppers and I think Spinlock hit the mark.
I often say that I never pass up a chance to improve a boat, in the long run it is just good stewardship. Remember, someday someone will talk about you as the PO! LOL

Edited by - pastmember on 08/03/2012 20:36:37

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