Fitting Out | Mainsheet Block

In the previous post on this subject I explained how I made a support pad for the mainsheet ratchet block, because it could not be fitted as supplied.

The support pad received several coats of primer and was wet sanded with a P800 grit to obtain a flat surface.

Five coats of gloss followed, and when fully hardened the pad was again wet sanded from P800 through to P2500. Lastly the usual finishing process followed, with P5000 and P9000 polishing compound.

Here I am finishing the finish.

The block was then test fitted onto the pad. Here it is, on the deck where it will be installed.

I marked up the location of the through deck fastenings for the support pad and drilled the holes. As here.

I used a pair of magnets - one above and one below the deck - to check that the holes would be in the right place. You can just see the uppermost magnet in the top half of the picture.

Then I test fitted the pad itself, with the block attached. Here it is.

I used Pozi pan head machine screws with dome nuts in the interior.

Then I decided that I didn't like the Pozi screws and replaced them with slotted pan head screws. Like this.

That looked much better.

But I then realised that the dome nuts were a weak point on such a highly loaded component, with less than 5mm of thread to grip the screw. I thought they could easily become loose and get wrenched out.

So, I used slightly longer pan head machine screws (35mm) and Nylock locknuts for the final installation of the ratchet block.

Here is the permanently fitted block.

And this is what the nuts look like underneath the deck.

I have yet to fit the spinnaker sheet cleats and the chainplates, but I can't do that until the mast is up, which will be when the boat goes onto its trailer.

So now we move onto fitting hardware to the spars. That feels like progress!