hello again, was wondering if the duckworks 201 single blocks are adequate for the weekender.they seem sort of small to work with eyebolt attachment. Also they don't have double blocks..............I would go with all harken but I've over reached my boat budget . polysails sent the wrong size tarp and missed some grommets but are sending the correct stuff this week............I was flying through this project but these snags have slowed me way down............. so much for instant gratification...........Oh, by the way,Mr. Stevenson,did you come up with a rigging kit? Any way, thanks for all your input. this bulletin board has been a life saver..................bruce wheeler
Ronstan blocks are cheaper then Harkin and just as good. Both are a bit out of place on a gaffer, maybe making your own is a thought. They are very easy to make and you can use wooden shells, which always looks great. Make the sheaves from HDPE or UHMW stock. To get this cheaply, look around for thick plastic kitchen cutting boards. Yard sales are a good spot to pickup good quality HDPE (what plastic cutting boards are made from) for pennies on the dollar. I can make blocks for about 5 bucks each, assuming I by stainless strapping in bulk and use a bolt for the axle and/or becket. The last cutting board I found was 5 bucks at a yard sale and the lady thought she "beat me up" for the 5'er. It was 3/4" thick and this usually retails for about $25 a square foot. This means I paid 5 bucks for 1.5 square feet (12x18 board) of HDPE that would have cost $37.50 retail. The Italian in me came right out.
Boatbuilding is a bit like raising children, so you can completely forget about the instant gratification stuff.
Paul: I made my own blocks out of elm. I used UHMW polyethelene for the sheaves (a picked up enough for the whole boat, plus spares for under $10 at a local plastics retailer...cutoffs!. I used brass rod for the axle that the sheave spins on. Duckworks magazine had a nice article on rope-stropped blocks. I think they look great on a Weekender.Â
http://www.duckworksmagazine.com/02/arti...blocks.htm
Dave