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Mast exit block verses conduit

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OJ
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4382 Posts

Initially Posted - 06/30/2014 : 09:44:05

So I am preparing to install exit blocks (for spinnaker handling) on the leading edge of the mast. The upper block (for the spinnaker halyard) will be placed very near top of the mast and I am quite sure it will be above the conduit.

The lower exit block (for the pole topping lift) will be positioned ~15" below the top of the mast. While the rivets that hold the conduit are slightly off-center, I'm concerned it will interfere with an exit block. I'm thinking the block for the topper will have to remain external.

Anyone else here ever encounter this issue? What style of block would/did you use if you kept all of the topper hardware external?

Edited by - OJ on 06/30/2014 09:45:58

Lee Panza
Captain

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USA
468 Posts

Response Posted - 07/03/2014 : 19:24:06

Yea, it's a 3-day weekend. One day to work on the boat, one day to sail it, and a third day to fix what breaks on the 2nd day.

But first, I wanted to respond to your questions about installing exit blocks for your spinnaker. I'm actually surprised that nobody else has yet, because we've had a few threads about this.

So, about that conduit. It's my understanding that a few owners have run conduits up their masts, which probably isn't really necessary, but it evidently wasn't OEM Catalina. You mentioned that it's held in place by rivets. My suggestion would be to drill-out (or grind-off with a Dremel, if they spin) the top one or two of them, so the conduit would be free to be pushed aside. I wouldn't worry about it flapping around in there afterward, because it'll rest against the sides of the exit blocks, but if you want to obsess about it you could redrill and install new pop-rivets in the displaced position (or drill, over-drill and tap, to use machine screws to hold in out of the way).

The other suggestion I'd like to offer is that you switch positions between your jib halyard and your proposed spin halyard. That way, the spin halyard runs up and over the sheave in the truck, and it can be led out through a block on a mast crane (we've had a thread about that recently, too) to get out in front of the forestay. If it comes out of the mast below the truck it will have to bend around the forestay on one tack or the other, and it would be subject to chafe. With all the work you're going through, it would be a simple matter to switch the halyards and avoid this.

I've got my jib halyard run through an exit block just below the truck (the upper two screws are actually tapped into the skirt of the truck rather than the mast), partly because I have a furler and I wanted the geometry to prevent halyard wrapping. My truck has four sheaves, although some have only two. I'm guessing you're doing this on your '89 TR and you only have two. That still allows for a spin halyard if your jib halyard exits below the truck. I'll re-post a CAD sketch that shows what I did, but you can do essentially the same thing with a Catalina Direct mast crane instead of what I made up.

As for the pole topping lift, I'd recommend a fairlead eye just below the exit block to prevent the line from chafing on the sides of the slot you cut to install the exit block.

The only other thing I'll add here is the source I used for my exit blocks. They were made by Kenyon and I bought them through Rig-Rite.com (their SKU is K-11199P-1):

http://www.rigrite.com/Spars/SparParts/Exit_blocks.html

They're sturdy and compact, but Rig-Rite has a surprisingly extensive range of exit blocks (although you can't seem to get to them from their home page without doing a search).

Here's that diagram, hoping it'll stimulate your own creativity:

Edited by - on

OJ
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4382 Posts

Response Posted - 07/06/2014 : 16:21:52

Thanks Lee!

I looked inside the mast and saw the plastic conduit has a very thin wall which = flexible. I cut the hole for the exit block halfway between two rivets which were 60" apart. It was very easy to push the conduit to one side.

Pix to follow!

Edited by - OJ on 07/06/2014 18:12:48

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The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.