Halyard blocks/cam cleats

Moderator: GreenLake

Halyard blocks/cam cleats

Postby Alan » Sun Jan 25, 2015 8:07 pm

Longer mast stub with halyard block and vang padeye - resized.jpg
Longer mast stub with halyard block and vang padeye - resized.jpg (186.88 KiB) Viewed 4170 times


I got a PM asking me about the Harken 140 swivel blocks/cleats that I use for halyard attachment (photo above). I'm not sure you can get them anymore. Intensity Sails now sells a carbo equivalent:

http://www.intensitysails.com/ha396capileb.html

I use one of those as a downhaul cleat.

I'm really happy with the 140s. They're easy to use when hoisting, and it's especially easy to lower the main in a controlled way, because it's easy to re-cleat with the sail partway down, so you can flake it in a leisurely manner. Less stress while looking competent - what's not to like? :)

I've actually got four of them at this point, one each for the main and jib halyards, one for the UPS halyard (yet to be installed - I've been making do with a horn cleat), and a smaller one for the topping lift. I haven't noticed that the jib sheets catch on them (although I'm not absolutely certain of that), or that the halyards chafe on the mast hinge (I am certain of that).

Mine are mounted below the hinge, but you could mount them above it as well, especially if your stub doesn't protrude far enough above the cuddy to leave mounting space.

I used the original horn cleats a few times before installing the 140s. In the hands of a novice, anyway, the 140s are a big improvement.
Alan
 
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Re: Halyard blocks/cam cleats

Postby TIM WEBB » Mon Jan 26, 2015 10:59 am

Wow, Harken sure has "sexied" those up a lot!

I'm really happy with the 140s as well, for the reasons you state. TRW's hinge is right above the partners, so they're mounted above that. No snagging issues, except when I get lazy/have bad timing on a tack. Even then it's pretty easy to clear the lazy sheet.
Tim Webb
1979 DS2 10099 The Red Witch
(I used to be Her "staff", in the way dogs have owners and cats have staff, but alas no longer ... <pout>)
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Re: Halyard blocks/cam cleats

Postby klb67 » Mon Jan 26, 2015 12:12 pm

Thanks for your picture and comments. I'm trying to make decisions on how I want to add a spinnaker halyard and pole halyard and whether to upgrade or change my existing factory main and jib halyards that run through factory style cheek blocks on the mast. I've spent hours studying pictures on the website, mostly from past races as opposed to the photo galleries, trying to figure out possible layouts - with my DSII with external halyards, I don't have many examples to look at. If I add a 140 or two, I'm planning to temporarily mount them with tape and a band claim to try out locations on the mast before I drill holes. Right now I'm planning to use a horn cleat on the starboard side of the mast for the pole halyard and either a block and a 150 cam on the cuddy roof for the spinnaker halyard, or install a 140 for one of those halyards on the port side (main or spin, not sure yet).
1976 DSII - #8039
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Re: Halyard blocks/cam cleats

Postby GreenLake » Mon Jan 26, 2015 3:09 pm

For the spinnaker pole on a DS, either uphaul or downhaul can be made a bungee.

I've chosen to make the uphaul a bungee (or rather a combination of fixed line and a shorter piece of tripled shock cord. The downhaul is lead through a fairlead (ring) on deck to a cam cleat on the rim of the cuddy. This setup works well for me. In some conditions, I play with the downhaul more frequently, so it's good to have it accessible sitting in the cockpit. (With a 140 it might also be possible to adjust it from the same seating position -- which would make it a suitable alternative).

For symmetry, I use the same fairlead/cleat arrangement for the spinnaker halyard, again using a simple fixed ring for a fairlead. Also works fine. Main downside, compared to cleats on the mast is that I have to re-string halyard and downhaul through the fairleads on the deck each time I raise the mast (but the alternative, to mount them on the mast, doesn't work well on my boat). Anyway, something I can live with.

Jib and main halyard (external) use horn cleats on the mast. I don't see any reasons to change those, except, possibly, if I ever add a purchase to the jib halyard. So far, I haven't seen the need for frequent adjustment, and I don't lower the main in stages - because I roll the sail, I dump it all in the cockpit, then take the halyard off, then roll it.
~ green ~ lake ~ ~
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