First sail of the season, and as usual we had to break something (well, a couple things, but this was the big one that sent us back in):
![[Linked Image]](http://www.gerhardstein.net/ebay/harken_blocks.jpg)
These were the Harken 29mm Carbo-Airblocks we were using for the jib halyard. It was nice hull-flying weather (15-20 knots), and we made it about 4 miles and a couple of tacks before the becket ripped off the end of the single (we killed the double later the same day).
Anyone have suggestions on other jib halyard blocks to use? The SWL on the 29mm Harkens was only 330#. Ronstan has 30mm blocks with 660# SWLs and stainless straps.
I used a Harken 167/084 combination for over ten years on my 16. The only thing I changed was replacing the sheet metal shackels with S/S ones.
You might give Harken a call to see if they'll make an adjustment.
Certainly the air blocks were under rated for the use here.
The stock jib halyard blocks are a Ronstan fiddle with becket (RF186 [working load 660 lbs]) metal cheek and solid sheaves. We also add an extra rivet through the sheaves to add strength.
Also, a Harken Hi Load bullet with becket (H099A) with 500 SWL and 2000 lb breaking strength.
Oh, at this point I agree that they were overloaded. However, the Harken 167 that hobie1616 mentions has a SWL of only 300# as well. So either hobie1616 never sailed his boat very hard (which is unlikely in 10 years), or two blocks from the same manufacturer with the same SWL have very different breaking strengths (which as an engineer is frustrating).
So I guess my question now is whether there is an acceptably strong 30 mm solution such as the H167/H084, H099/H100, or RF30110/RF30202, or if going to 40 mm is a better idea.
My current boat is an '88 hull that I am at least the 3rd owner of, and the original Ronstan stuff was pretty chewed up when I got it last year. My general impression of Ronstan blocks is that they tend to have quite a bit more friction than Harken, but maybe this is just my impression from newer Harken stuff vs. older Ronstan stuff?
I did sail it hard. The ones I used have metal straps on the side with rivets through the body of the blocks. That may have been the difference.