Replacing Main Sheet Block

[c130king]

Can anyone send me a link for a Main Sheet Block? I think I might need to replace mine as both the piece attached to the traveler and the piece attached to the boom are pitted with some corrosion. I couldn't find anything on my initial searches.

Thanks,
Jim

[Kelly Hanson East]

Jim - you can replace just the metal U part if that is what is corroded.

Also, WM usually has a sale on blocks in Dec Jan on slow season....if you need one now I would go to Defender

[c130king]

Stephen,

I figured you would come through for me. Sitting here thinking about it, I think maybe what I have is corrosion from metal-on-metal contact while sitting in a humid environment (240 plus days in Florida while the boat was in storage). The main sheet blocks and the vang (along with their lines) and the rotating middle piece of the spreaders (and it's bolts/nuts) were sitting in a 5 gal bucket inside the cabin. There is corrosion on the main sheet block and the vang block (the main one with the cam cleat). Still useable and I used them on the Jax Mac Get-Together. And I will probably continue to use them for a while. But when I move back to the U.S. next Summer I need new main sheets (the current ones are really starting to shred) and I figured I might as well replace the hardware as well.

But I can't find "main sheet block" on Defender or WM. I see "Fiddle Block" which I think may be the one connected to the boom for the main sheet. I am hoping someone can provide a link to a suitable main sheet block (top piece and bottom piece) for an . I found boom vangs on the KH website for $69 (I assume this is the same as what I have now...they don't have a picture of it on the KH website).

I will do some WM shopping this Christmas when I am back in the U.S. I am trailering the boat to Biloxi, MS for 2-weeks over Christmas for some Gulf Coast sailing.

Cheers,
Jim

[c130king]

Found one on Blue Water Yachts...accessories not parts:

Mainsheet Airblocks

Seems to be reasonably priced.

Jim

[Kelly Hanson East]

I'll send you the part number onthe macx blocks

pretty sure they are the same

the bwy airblocks are nice but a few bucks more than harkens, which are 50usd iirc

there are usually defender sales too, during winter

[vkmaynard]

We used the Harken Small Fiddle blocks. Super nice. You can angle the cam cleat way down so you don't have the ridiculous upward pull lik on the OEM cheapo parts.

http://www.harkenstore.com/uniface.urd/ ... Z56LC53FA2

Shop around.

Victor

[c130king]

Definitely seem to be a lot more expensive than the Air Block set from BWY.

Do you know which of these is needed for the ?

Jim

[Terry]

The Air Blocks from BWY are Garhauer brand with bearings,they work much better than the cheap OEMs and are reasonably priced. I have them on mine, bought them on an impulse while I was there for something else. Actually I have bought several impulse purchases at BWY over the years. The OEM blocks for the main are same as the Vang OEMs. I did not bother with replacing the vang blocks and I now have spare mainsheet blocks for the vang if they wear out. The bearing Air Blocks do make it easier to pull the mainsheet in. Anything is bettr than OEM.

[vkmaynard]

I'll check the part numbers tonight.

The first thing I did when they were installed was to angle the cleat all the way down. You can actually feed the main sheet toward the aft to easily control it while standing/sitting behind the helm.

[c130king]

Victor, Terry,

Thanks. I will look at the Harken blocks but I am leaning towards the Air Blocks. Seems to be about half the price. And I put some value in BWY's reputation and Terry's endorsement.

Thanks again,
Jim

[Highlander]

The Air Blocks from BWY are Garhauer brand with bearings,they work much better than the cheap OEMs and are reasonably priced. I have them on mine, bought them on an impulse while I was there for something else. Actually I have bought several impulse purchases at BWY over the years. The OEM blocks for the main are same as the Vang OEMs. I did not bother with replacing the vang blocks and I now have spare mainsheet blocks for the vang if they wear out. The bearing Air Blocks do make it easier to pull the mainsheet in. Anything is bettr than OEM.

Jim

Like my good friend Terry I also bought the Garhauer brand , infact I even bought a second bigger set at the boat show I think I only pd $99 Can for the complete set you can sheet in that main with your pinky , I now use my original OEM mainsheet for my adj backstay

I bought both at the boat shows during the winter only time to buy if you can hold out ! I'll look-up tonight if I remember & see if I can find the Mod # & post some pic's of them

J

[c130king]

J,

Another endorsement. Thanks. I will definitely be waiting until Christmas when I am back in the U.S. I will go see what I can find in the Biloxi area. But I imagine my current OEM stuff, despite have some corroded edges, will continue to work for a while. After Xmas I will be putting the boat back into storage in Florida and it will sit until next Summer when I move back to the U.S. and trailer the boat to wherever I happen to move to next. All future mods/upgrades are waiting for Summer or Fall 2010.

But if I need a new one I know what to get and where I can get one.

Cheers,
Jim

[Rob S]

You might take a look at Garhauer boom vangs... http://garhauermarine.com/catalog_process.cfm?cid=38

Line is included. For my I use the 30UAB 4-1 which has 40 ft of line which is just enough. I bought it for around $90 while there was a sale on so keep an eye out on the site. I love it, very pretty, very smooth. Actually, I have two of them rigged as a triangular "traveller."

[vkmaynard]

Garhauer makes great super high quality parts for very low prices (not sure how they stay in business made in the USA). We have their ridged vang.

The Harken fiddle blocks allow you to angle the cleat down much further than the Garhauer from what I can see.

We purchased the H058 and the H053 Small Fiddle Blocks.

Victor

[c130king]

Victor,

Thanks for that info. Why the 58 and not the 57? Just curious.

Jim