Wooden Blocks

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ifoxwell

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Hi Guys
I'm afraid I haven't seen the light and bought into the classic yacht scene yet however I'm curious about the deck hard ware that you all use.
One of the great advances over the years has been the introduction of ballraced fittings etc that make sail handling and so forth so much easier. Do people make what I might see as a modern ballraced wooden block so that it both keeps up appearances and yet provides the benefits I'm familiar with.... and if so do people use them?
Ian
 
Hi
Yup, thanks should have spent more time on Google before I asked the first part of the question, It seems like if you look hard enough many of the manufacturers make the sort of thing i was talking about... but the second part of my question still stands
Do people use them or do classic yacht owners like the purity of sailing using the tradition systems?
Ian
 
ifoxwell said:
Hi
Yup, thanks should have spent more time on Google before I asked the first part of the question, It seems like if you look hard enough many of the manufacturers make the sort of thing i was talking about... but the second part of my question still stands
Do people use them or do classic yacht owners like the purity of sailing using the tradition systems?
Ian
Click to expand...

There is nothing at all new about roller bearing blocks - they used to be called "patent" blocks and my ex boat, built in 1937, is still sailing around with the full set of roller bearing blocks that she was built with - they all have elm cheeks. If you listen, you can hear a "ticking" sound as an old style "patent" block is in use as the rollers pass over TDC

Having just gone the other way after 40 years of gaff rig, I am truly appalled at the friction in most modern sail handling systems and shocked that people tolerate it! It is tolerated because you can use a winch to overcome it, but it should not be there at all!
 
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I do agree with the drag in the systems on so many boats... I put it down to the fact that so many are built as floating caravans were just unfurling the jib is a big deal and so the manufacturers put minimal effort and cost into making the systems right.
But take any of these boats, install modern blocks and route everything in an efficient way, and things can be so much better
 
ifoxwell said:
I do agree with the drag in the systems on so many boats... I put it down to the fact that so many are built as floating caravans were just unfurling the jib is a big deal and so the manufacturers put minimal effort and cost into making the systems right.
But take any of these boats, install modern blocks and route everything in an efficient way, and things can be so much better
Click to expand...

It is said that there was once a seaman's curse - "Big ropes and small blocks to you!"

This may be as apocryphal as the purported Chinese "May you live in interesting times!", but it does tell us something!
 
Minn said:
There is nothing at all new about roller bearing blocks - they used to be called "patent" blocks and my ex boat, built in 1937, is still sailing around with the full set of roller bearing blocks that she was built with - they all have elm cheeks. If you listen, you can hear a "ticking" sound as an old style "patent" block is in use as the rollers pass over TDC

Having just gone the other way after 40 years of gaff rig, I am truly appalled at the friction in most modern sail handling systems and shocked that people tolerate it! It is tolerated because you can use a winch to overcome it, but it should not be there at all!
Click to expand...

Likewise. I chartered a plastic one with all lines back to the cockpit. I couldn't get the main up with out a winch, on a 34 footer. With an external halyard on CdG I only use the winch for tensioning.
 
On our classics we often make up our own blocks using harken sheaves and we've also stuck teak side plates on the sides of spinlock clutches.

Most ropes have a mat or standard buff cover including sk78 dyneema so you can have up to date gear that still looks great on a classic.

Also most rigging bottlescrews are bronze and then chromed so we get hold of them before the chroming process for use on a classic.
 
Some years ago I sailed on the Orkney Yole, "Lilly" (some info here: http://www.orkneycommunities.co.uk/yoleassociation/index.asp?pageid=595172).

Being an open ballasted boat the mainsheet is always hand held. All the blocks were traditional looking with wood cheeks so I was surprised to find the mainsheet had a ratchet block. This made it much easier to hold in a breeze than the simple blocks on the other yole I used to sail.

The ratcher block was a modern one with wood cheeks added, and looked very convincing.
 
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