Replacing sheets, blocks and sheaves

[Alain]

I'm considering replacing most of the blocks and shaeves handling the main and mizzain sheets, and changing sheets diam from 1/2" to 7/16" or even 3/8". I'm concerneds about weight and inertia of the larger 1/2" sheet I have know. As for the existing Sheaffer blocks, many are seized without hope. Looking at Garhaur, seamingly a good quality/price ratio.
Any comments?

[Michel]

Alain,
I have the same plan, although my blocks are still okay. This spring, I will replace my 12 mm Marlowbraid halyards with 10 or 12 mm Dyneema. There is way too much stretch now. The two year old ex-halyards will then be used as new sheets to replace the 14 mm course, stiff polyester. In light wind conditions, my sheets don't run out by themselves and the main sheet is so heavy that the mainsail will fall back to the centreline. To counter this, I rigged permanent preventers on the main wishbone through blocks on the cathead all the way to the cockpit. With those, I can gybe and wing out the main without leaving the cockpit.
http://www.freedomyachts.org/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=9938

[whimsy]

I sailed on a friend's Freedom 38 extensively, and he originally had "normal" halyards, 1/2" I believe.

One day a few years ago he decided to upgrade to high-tech stuff, and went a bit thinner, as that was cheaper and lighter than the same size, while also being stronger / lower stretch. I do not recall the exact size or construction, unfortunately.

The new line was much harder and slicker and didn't flatten around the winch as well.....he found that it would slip as he raised the halyard unless he put enough wraps to fill the drum on, and even then he had trouble with it.

I believe this problem is avoidable, but do check for it.....and of course, make sure that the eye is made by somebody who knows how to do it for that kind of rope--he had one of those pull out too!

Barry

[Michel]

Yes thanks Barry, i'm aware of the slippage on the winches. I have winches with a selfadjusting grip. I already had to tighten the grip when I went from 14 mm to 12 mm halyards. I did that to add extra washers under the springs, but that doesn't help enough. So I will shorten the bolts and remove the adjusting capability altogether. I've standardised on 12 mm lines, so that won't be a problem.

[katorpus]

Gonna stick with the fat fuzzy ones here myself...after all, the only real difference is in the weight if the sail is hauled all the way up (internal halyards are good that way). I don't figure the windage between the halyard exit plate and the turning block on the deck is much of a factor, do you? Stretch hasn't been a problem so far, and I didn't see much difference in the price.

I kinda enjoy hauling the main & mizzen up to within 3 or 4' of the masthead with my bare ungloved hands...that's what the McLube Sailkote on the sail slides is good for (among other things). Maybe when I go to Battcars I'll be able to get them ALL the way up with no winch.

[Michel]

I really have problems with halyard stretch with the 12 mm (1/2") Marlowbraid polyester. Especially with two reefs in and the sails heavy with cold rain slamming at them, I had almost a foot of additional halyard to take in. The sails really sag to leeward between the battens as if it's a junk sail.

[Alain]

The new line was much harder and slicker and didn't flatten around the winch as well.....he found that it would slip as he raised the halyard unless he put enough wraps to fill the drum on, and even then he had trouble with it.

The good side of it is that the new, stiffer halyard doen't flatten either in the blocks and sheaves on the way from the masts to the winches. I remember using Spectra 3/8" halyards in replacement of the original 1/2" on my F33 ketch, did great, I could raise both sails by hand from the cockpit before finishing on the winch... In that sense, Spectra would be a gain on the PH39, as there are (too) many bends to come around (with very small sheave diameter) from the the foot of the mats to the top of the cabin and finally the winches...

[katorpus]

Michel

Are you using Battcars (or something like them)? If your sails are sagging to leeward (when wet) with the halyard tight, it's the sails that are stretching, not the halyard. Sounds like you need some intermediate slides in any case. A wet halyard will stretch differently than a dry one, but once it's up & tensioned, it shouldn't be changing much just because it's wet...particularly since the part of it that's in the mast is not getting all that wet.

The other thing that may be happening (when you're double reefed) is that the reefing line is stretching. That will make things "sag", since things are loosening up from the "bottom up" rather than the "top down". Since your headboard (when double reefed) is so far away from the masthead, it might not be apparent which end of things is getting "loose".

[Michel]

John,
I have Batcars with intermediate slides. But you're right, I think my sails are stretching as well when wet, although they are made from really heavy cloth. I checked if the reef lines were the culprits, but they aren't, the reef blocks and eyes remain in the same place. And gravity on a wet sail is a pull down factor too! The problem is at it's worst with two reefs in, so with the least sail length up and the most halyard up beyond the stopper. But you brought to my attention that buying expensive Dyneema halyards may not solve my problem. I'll do some checks again before deciding, thanks!

[phildowney]

hi
when we bought kusi a lot of the blocks were broken and almost all were lewmar ocean plain bearing blocks, most were 26 years old
the mast head blocks were realy bad tuffnol blocks that squeaked and meant you had to winch the sail up.

we are gradualy replacing the blocks with harken ball or roller blocks and they make it so much easier to handle the boat. personaly you cant beat harken for quality but the price is steep, we have probably £2000 worth of blocks on board and havent finished upgrading yet (but i didnt pay that )

for f35 cb owners it is worth noting that one of the self contained high load sheaves they do is a exact swap for the sheave in the cb deck sheave and is very free running

as for running lines we have spectra halyards topping lifts and runners that came with the boat and everything else is polyester

outhauls and reef tack lines could do with being lo - strech since when they strech they make the sails fuller thus increasing power in gusts- not good

i also feel that something in the system needs some give in it as a safety valve to take shock loads so mainsheets can safely be polyester

all the best , phil d f35 cat ketch "kusi"