Wichard Soft Blocks - any good ?

[Boo2]

I'm thinking of using Wichard soft blocks as mast foot blocks for turning the mainsail reefing lines around and I wondered if anyone here has any experience of them in this application ? Is the friction appreciably higher with this kind of block than with ball bearing blocks ?

Thanks,

Boo2

 

[scottie]

Any idea of cost?

 

[Gwylan]

Or try a soft shackle with a 'plastic' eye from Ropeloft.

http://www.ropeloft.co.uk/

Offering soft shackles and made something similar for me.

 

[Deleted member 36384]

A non rotating sheave is not a new idea. What is new is the material that these are made from. The old styles certainly would have higher coefficients of friction and they worked well enough. Based on that I would believe that these will be very good at their job. The only down side is that chafe in high loads could increase the probability of failure compared to devices secured on tracks or with shackles. I would be more concerned about that than with the rope friction on the saddle.

 

[prv]

So it's not really a block as such, more a bullseye (or rather, a lizard, since it's on a lanyard of sorts) made in modern and hopefully very low-friction material.

Pete

 

[Deleted member 36384]

... a bullseye (or rather, a lizard, since it's on a lanyard of sorts) .....

Bullseye is the term, I had forgotten that. A lizard is a new name for me but quite an apt description. Thanks.

 

[geoid96]

Any idea of cost?

I believe the 8, 10 and 14mm max rope size versions are about £34, £52 and £71 respectively.

I think their main use will be as a snatch block or Barber hauler. One of the 10mm versions is on my shopping list to replace an old Lewmar snatch block that went over the side last summer.

 

[prv]

Bullseye is the term, I had forgotten that. A lizard is a new name for me but quite an apt description. Thanks.

The bullseye is the wooden fairleady thing itself, as you know. A bullseye on the end of a short lanyard is a lizard. Stavros has them hanging from the jackstays on the yards to direct the buntlines, and also to keep various vertical lines under control (not blowing out to leeward) when slack. Big gaffers sometimes use them to adjust jib sheet leads and suchlike.

Pete

 

[William_H]

Bulls eye

Call me old fashioned but surely a turning pulley wheel would be far better with or without ball bearings than a bulls eye unless it was just for a small turn direction. I think a wheeled pulley would be cheaper too. olewill