Mainsheet block/camcleat for Sea Scouts DaySailer

[jshugart]

First a big public thank you to Roger Cross for donating his original sails to us in New River Valley, Virginia for our 1964 DaySailor. The sails that came with the donated boat weren't even for a DaySailor....very pitiful.

Now our next critical need is a mainsheet block and cam cleat setup to mount on the centerboard trunk. There are blocks under the boom but that is all. All that there is on the centerboard trunk is a small brass horn cleat (held by two screws on the narrow rounded top of the aft end of the trunk). Our funds are getting low as we are trying to make 3 donated (in very poor shape) sailboats usable (also San Juan 21 and Sunfish), so we don't want to have to buy a Harken/Ronstan/etc block/cam unless we have to. We are sort of managing and the scouts are learning how to sail and having fun....sometimes on my Flying Scot.

So we need help on the mainsheet control item right now. I have battens ordered for our mainsail and I am washing the sails today. I have old sailing gear (from 1982 onward) but none to help this need.

Thank you for your help or advice how to do it another way....creative.

Jim Shugart (mate)
Sea Scouts Ship 557 USS Johnston (DD)
home 540-951-2539
cell 540-250-2324

[TIM WEBB]

You are welcome to have my old standup block/swivel cleat (OEM on a '79 DS2). I replaced it with the Garhauer one from D&R a while back, but it's still fairly serviceable. It's one of the ones with the S/whale logo. The sheaves are pretty worn, but it would still work. I guess if you were really industrious you could drill out the rivets and put in new ones ... ?

Oh, the base is square, with mounting holes on 1-1/16" centers. If that doesn't work on your boat, there are ways to make adapters to make it fit - see my photo gallery.

I also have a mainsheet with boom block you can have as well, that is much newer and in excellent condition. I replaced it with a longer one with a double block when I changed out the lower block/cleat ...

[jshugart]

Tim, sorry I haven't replied....I thought the forum would send me an alert email if someone messaged my posting and just checked the forum. I appreciate your kind offer of main sheet parts, but they wouldn't work on my curved centerboard trunk top. This boat is very old (1962-64) and doesn't have the flat place aft for a standup base. Our Sea Scouts funds are very low and trailer tires are needed as higher priority, so I am buying a mainsheet tackle set (fiddle cam w/becket and fiddle for under boom for 4:1 ratio for mid-boom sheeting) for later possible reimbursement. I am getting Garhauer brand from D&R Marine out of Mass.....Rudy worked at Oday Mariner factory for many years in 70's and 80's.....he gave us a small cost break. Plus Garhauer is less expensive then std Harken, Shaeffer, or Ronstan. The 3 sailboats donated to us were in very bad condition, so are soaking up our funds easily. But the kids are learning to sail and having fun and staying out of trouble.
Jim

[TIM WEBB]

No worries Jim - I think it's great what you're doing with getting the kids interested! I learned to sail when I was assigned to teach some kids at a summer camp years ago, and they actually ended up teaching me!

There are ways to make adapters that turn the curved CB trunk top into a flat for mounting of things like jib cleats, mainsheet swivels, etc. The simplest involve simply bending aluminum to fit ...

Ain't D&R great? Rudy is a first class guy, and always so helpful. I ALWAYS look there first when I need some part or supply, because I want to support him and his business as much as possible so that they will be around as long as possible!

[navahoIII]

What a wonderful thing you are doing to teach sailing to your campers. As Tim pointed out, you may learn something from them too. In fact, they may know that the metal of choice for boat fittings was bronze (at least in the "old days"), so be aware that your horn cleats are bronze too and you may spare yourself some mild "Oops!"