Blocks needed for spinnaker guys?

[dgadee]

Do I need blocks or could I get away with stainless quick links (the oval things with a thread and screw that covers that thread)? I have a toe rail with plenty of holes and the quick links could stay there rather than be attached and removed when I set up.

 

[penfold]

No idea what a quick link is but spinnaker guys need blocks.

 

[neil_s]

I don't think that would work - there will be too much friction through the quick links. Those alloy slippery fairleads might be OK, though.

 

[dgadee]

No idea what a quick link is but spinnaker guys need blocks.

 

[penfold]

Way too much friction.

 

[rogerthebodger]

I don't think that would work - there will be too much friction through the quick links. Those alloy slippery fairleads might be OK, though.

You mean one of these



The answer is yes you can use these as a spinnaker tweeter

 

[dgadee]

Those low friction rings would have the same need to be installed and removed as blocks so wouldn't be much advantage to me. They seem (Barton ones anyway) simply to be hard anodized aluminium alloy.

My thinking was that the guy would go from the pole/sail down to the toe rail at hull widest and then only slightly veer off to a winch. I presume only 3m maximum movement.

 

[dunedin]

Those low friction rings would have the same need to be installed and removed as blocks……

Why? Surely they could stay attached, as wouldn’t come to any harm

 

[jlavery]

You definitely need blocks or low friction rings. Anything else is a false economy - you want low friction under load and minimal friction when load is released and you want the guy to run.

If the guy doesn't run smoothly when you need it to (strong wind drop), thats when things start to go wrong.

I have blocks permanently mounted on the toe rail, held up off the deck/gunwhale with shock cord.

 

[flaming]

Why would you need to remove the blocks or LFRs?
Those quick links I don’t think are a good idea, you’ll chew through your guys I would have thought. We have solid rings for the guys but the radius is much bigger.

 

[dgadee]

Why? Surely they could stay attached, as wouldn’t come to any harm

I was planning to have them just where the central cleats are. I suppose I could move blocks back out of the way.

I'll go for blocks after all. Though I am not that convinced ....

 

[penfold]

On Sonatas the twings were installed permanently and adjustable, necessary as we ran single sheets; on the Sigma 33 we ran double sheets/sheets and guys, the blocks for the guys were rigged and unrigged each day, with a snap shackle onto the gunwhale and a hook on elastic onto the guardwire to hold it up.

 

[flaming]

I was planning to have them just where the central cleats are. I suppose I could move blocks back out of the way.

I'll go for blocks after all. Though I am not that convinced ....

The difference you’d see from siting the blocks just out of the way of the cleat would be minimal. I’d do that if I was you, though if you want to save a bit of cash a LFR, some dynema and some YouTube splicing tutorials will do just fine.

 

[jlavery]

Whatever you use, it must be free to articulate so that the lead is as fair as possible. The low friction rings do that by design. Any block needs to have enough movement to achieve this.

 

[dgadee]

Whatever you use, it must be free to articulate so that the lead is as fair as possible. The low friction rings do that by design. Any block needs to have enough movement to achieve this.

Yes, just ordered blocks with beckets. Will use soft shackle onto rail and elastic cord to safety line. This is why I wanted to put them at the maximum width: