Association Forum - Winter projects/block size

Assn Members Area · Join

Home.

Association Forum

Ships Store

Cruising

Racing

Technical Tips

Photo Gallery - New

Boat Search - Updated

Manuals & Brochures

Swap Meet

Links

Officer Flag Line & Staff

Bylaws & Constitution

Members Area

Join the Association

Notice:
The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
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.

Association Forum

Username:	Password:
Save Password
Forgot your Password?

All Forums

Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

Catalina 25 Specific Forum

Winter projects/block size

New Topic

Topic Locked

Printer Friendly

Author

Topic

Page: of 2

Frank Hopper
Past Commodore

Members Avatar

Pitcairn Island
6776 Posts

Response Posted - 01/04/2005 : 20:16:01

The biggest difference is the mast base blocks are being pulled straight up with a lifting force and the organizers are taking a shear load. Also the deck organizers, (if installed properly) do not turn the line 90 degrees, the lower the line angle the lower the load.

Edited by - on

ct95949
Captain

Members Avatar

Aruba
300 Posts

Response Posted - 01/05/2005 : 10:58:07

I'm no engineer but I think Frank is right about the angle/load factor.Either way I,m not concerned about installing Harken's 300lb./sheave small boat deck organizer.I've spent a lot of time comparing different brands of blocks and I've come to the conclusion that Harken rates thier products on the conservative side.A 1000lb. swl Harken block is a big expensive monster meant for a 40'boat.

As I said above I did replace my mast base blocks with Garhauer 1150lb. models.They look good,are cheap and have a 10 year warranty.

Edited by - on

Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 01/05/2005 : 13:07:36

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by fhopper@mac.com
 The biggest difference is the mast base blocks are being pulled straight up with a lifting force and the organizers are taking a shear load. Also the deck organizers, (if installed properly) do not turn the line 90 degrees, the lower the line angle the lower the load.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Regarding the load on the sheaves, the up-down-sideways orientation of the block doesn't apply. Regarding the angle, both my organizers and swivel blocks carry a little less than a 90-degree turn (since the organizers are set back a little, and the swivel blocks stand up from the base plate). I don't think the sheaves in either are under much less stress than the other, although lead from the mast blocks into the organizers is not precisely parallel to their sheaves--a possible disadvantage. Generally, it's the sheaves that give. Jim B. put a winch to a halyard and BANG--we had little plastic ball bearings all over the place!

I don't winch anything that's led back (the furler is winched on the mast), so I'm not very worried about it.

Edited by - Dave Bristle on 01/05/2005 13:29:08

ct95949
Captain

Members Avatar

Aruba
300 Posts

Response Posted - 01/06/2005 : 11:26:20

Dave-I thought I was done with this thread but I've got to ask you to clarify.You don't winch any of your lines led aft? You tension halyards,reef lines,cunningham,etc. all at a mast winch? I thought the popular way to rig these lines was to lead them to a cabin top winch and then into rope clutches.Do none of your winched lines run through ball bearing sheaves?

Forgive me for questioning your methods,I place a lot of value on your advise as I do with all the experts in this forum but if your statement is correct I'll have new blocks blowing out all over the place

Please explain.

Thanks,Craig

Edited by - ct95949 on 01/06/2005 11:28:42

dlucier
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

Virgin Islands (United Kingdom)
7583 Posts

Response Posted - 01/06/2005 : 12:02:28

Craig,

Of the lines I have led aft, none are put on the winch.

Control lines like outhauls, vangs, cunninghams, and boom downhauls are generally multiple purchase systems which if put on a winch might cause some damage somewhere.

Putting an 8:1 outhaul on a winch could spell trouble.

Edited by - dlucier on 01/06/2005 12:11:14

ct95949
Captain

Members Avatar

Aruba
300 Posts

Response Posted - 01/06/2005 : 17:30:59

Don-The lines I use a winch on are halyards,two reef lines and the cunningham none of which have a purchase system and all are led aft.I'm sure things would break if you cranked and cranked but I gently tension my lines only slightly more than I could have by hand.

I have single line reefing for both my 1st and 2nd reef,with all the friction in that system it's hard to get the sail snugged down to the boom without using the winch...gently.

I know a lot of people use a purchase system on thier cunningham but as of now I don't race and figured why spend money on expensive blocks when I have a winch sitting there.Where I sail the wind is either full blast or light,I haven't had the need to constantly fine tune.

Here's the bottom line:For three years I've read every thread on this subject and if I'm not mistaken most of us have our halyards led aft,they are tensioned by winches,they run through deck organizers and mast base turning blocks and these blocks haven't been breaking.

Specifically Don what lines do you use a winch on and what kind of blocks do those lines run through?Believe it or not this goes back to my original question that started this post

Thanks,Craig

Edited by - ct95949 on 01/06/2005 18:03:59

dlucier
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

Virgin Islands (United Kingdom)
7583 Posts

Response Posted - 01/06/2005 : 19:33:34

Craig,

Aside from my genoa sheets, the halyards are the only things that get winched. Since I have roller furling, my jib halyard is tensioned with the mast winch as is my main halyard (I think I'm the last sailor who actually enjoys going to the mast and hoisting a sail

Edited by - on

Charlie Vick
Captain

Members Avatar

USA
423 Posts

Response Posted - 01/07/2005 : 10:05:39

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by dlucier
 

... (I think I'm the last sailor who actually enjoys going to the mast and hoisting a sail

).
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Nope, I'm right there with you Don.
Nothing led aft cept the jib sheets.

Edited by - on

Frank Hopper
Past Commodore

Members Avatar

Pitcairn Island
6776 Posts

Response Posted - 01/07/2005 : 10:20:33

I only tension halyards with my winches but I have a 6:1 on my cuningham and haul my reef outhaul buy hand because I can. My reef down haul (I use a two line system) is done after the halyard is released.

Edited by - on

Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 01/07/2005 : 11:48:33

Craig: I think the replies above pretty much answer your question... My main halyard is led aft--I don't even have a cabin-top winch for it--I just give it a good tug and snap down the clutch. My jib is on a roller that's pulled up once per season and tensioned with the mast winch. (High-tech, low-stretch line is important there.) My reefing lines don't need high tension, and the main dousing line needs none. As mentioned, winching a multi-purchase system (like a vang or outhaul) could be asking for an explosion.

All that said, I don't race Passage, so I don't have the setup that others here have.

Edited by - Dave Bristle on 01/07/2005 22:02:01

Page: of 2

Topic

New Topic

Topic Locked

Printer Friendly

Jump To:

Association Forum

Notice: The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
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.