So my P16 has these two blocks on each side of the mast on the sides of the boom gooseneck attachment point. These are riveted to the mast, so no removing a pin to replace them. Of course, as soon as I went to properly downhaul the main, one of the plastic block sheaves snapped and the other will snap the next time. So, I could go buy a replacement unit, go drill out the old rivets, figure out how to put up new rivets in a way that does not make the mast leak like a sieve, and have myself two shiny new downhaul blocks. The question is - do I need them? The lack of the first one did not slow me down a bit - the downhaul line wraps and slides around the pin on which the block sheave rotated as well as around the surviving sheave on the other side of the mast. I am thinking I can save myself some trouble and just pass the downhaul around the pin as well as it went around the sheave. Am I missing something?
No. Pete
The tighter radius of the pin vs. the block may cause your downhaul line to fatigue quicker. Keep an eye on it and replace at a shorter interval than you normally might and you should have no trouble.
no sweat...you don't need the plastic at all.