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Ed Cook CHAT-EAU 26C 173 , Chesapeake Bay, wrote in July 2009:

"I use and like Harken Ti-lite blocks. Carefully following tying instructions. Very light weight, and reduced friction and chaffing are the benefits."


Al Perrins BARBCAT 30C 170 , East-Long Island Sound, wrote July 2009 :

"No cringles, Harkin CarboBlocks tied in with hi tech line supplied."


BOTTS THOTTS - Ed Botterell DOYLE BOTTS Sails wrote in July 2009 :

"Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more."

Not too sure how many times I have written about reefing a Nonsuch, but the current thread on reefing, and if blocks are required or not, suggests that some new people are on the list, or no one listens, so I appealed to Shakespeare for inspiration.

Leech blocks are a good thing when reefing, but a pain the rest of the time. If they don't bang around and wear the leech, they catch the topping lift. And good ones that won't break at the worst possible moment, are expensive. Up to the 30 they are not required, in my humble opinion, if you apply the Botts sequence of reefing. This includes easing the choker as much as possible, and then taking up the topping lift as much as is necessary to allow you to bring the leech reef cringle in the sail down to about one foot above the wishbone WITHOUT having to lift the wishbone.

It is the weight of the wishbone that makes this hard to do, and using the topping lift to do what it's supposed to do, SUPPORT the wishbone, you can almost do this without a winch. You then re-tension the choker tight, with a winch, let the topping lift off again, and if you have done the luff part properly, you will have a good reef .

Something you should do is feel the inside of the rings (cringles) in the sail. These rings are put in with hydraulic pressure, and sometimes the press dies will leave a ridge inside the ring. This will cause the reefing line to prematurely wear and eventually break. Talk to your sailmaker if there is such a ridge in any of your luff or leech reef rings. (ed. a fine half round file and wet sanding with several grades will grind/polish off this abrasive ridge)

For the 33 and 36, there is enough load that including ball bearing blocks on the leech is a good idea. We use strong webbing to attach the blocks to the leech rings in the sail. If a block does break, you still have the ring as a back up through which you can reave the reef line.

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Harken 2651 40 mm Carbo Ti-Lite Block

sheave dia. 1 9/16" ... length 2 1/4" ... weight 1 oz.

max. line dia. 3/8" ... max. working load 485 lbs. ... breaking load 1200 lbs.


Harken 26071 57 mm Carbo Ti-Lite Block

sheave dia. 2 1/4" ... length 3 1/16" ... weight 2.4 oz.

max. line dia. 7/16" ... max. working load 792 lbs. ... breaking load 2380 lbs.

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