Harken carbo blocks - are they worth it?

[MissFitz]

I need to get new ratchet blocks for the kite sheets on my Sonata. Every boat I ever race on, big or small, has Harken carbo blocks but obviously they are pricey. Should I look at cheaper options or is it worth shelling out for Harken?

 

[michael_w]

Harken stuff just works. Even when its been seriously overloaded it keeps on working, rather than exploding like some makes I could mention.

 

[Ingwe]

On my boat I mostly have harken blocks but use ronstan for certain things as they are better than the harken equivalents, eg I much prefer the ronstan mast base blocks and the ronstan orbit blocks have better strength to weight ratio's compared to the harken Carbo's, but on a line you want to run fast the harken Carbo's always feel like they run slightly freer. I haven't bought a ratchet block in about 12 years so I can't comment on the current ones but if you can get a better spec'd ronstan block for less than the harken equivalent I wouldn't rule them out - whichever you go for they will need changing in a couple of years as with ratchet blocks on spi sheets you will almost certainly melt an area of the sheave at some point.

 

[anoccasionalyachtsman]

lngwe talks good sense. I felt a bit giddy and bought a Carbo block for my mainsheet track because it does work well, looks fab - and because using it is part of my job I justified it that way. How much do you like your spi sheet operative?

 

[Boo2]

...ratchet blocks on spi sheets...

Sorry, why do people use ratchet blocks on spi sheets ?

Boo2

 

[flaming]

Sorry, why do people use ratchet blocks on spi sheets ?

Boo2

If the boat is small enough not to need to use a winch basically.