Halyard Blocks

[erbster]

It was the "Lifting Eye Nut" which I pointed you toward.

Yes, a very useful link.

The low SWL is low because it has to have a guaranteed large factor of safety for H and S reasons.

Thought so, but don't know very much about this.

If you look at the M8 "Commercial Eye Nut" it is made from 6mm dia material the same as the M6 "Lifting Eye Nut", and it has a breaking load of 1300 Kg.

You could lift your boat up with that.

Depends if I'm in it...

As you can probaly tell from the info I have given, that I consider them to be more than adequate for the job, and many times stonger than the original fitting.

Having had the fitting break in very benign conditions, I want to be completely confident in the boat when the conditions are not.

[Black Sheep]

Hello Charles

I have just carried out the mod on Mary Ann.

Mine had not yet failed, but I estimated that one side would have done so this season if I did nothing.

I used a M6 countersunk head screw through the plate only (not the deck) with an eye nut on top. (There is sufficient space under the deck plate for the csk head of the screw, but not for a conventional head or nut)

No extra holes in the deck.

Topped it all off with new blocks directly attached to the eye nut

Hi Dennis,
thanks for the link to the lifting eye. I am not sure which M6 screw you applied, would it be possible to give me a link for that as well?
How did you remove the old swivel from the plate?
Thanks for your help!
Michel
(Black Sheep)

[Dennis]

Hello Michel

SS screws are available from the same site as the Lifting Eye Nut. But they are quite expensive, £16 for a pack of 50.

As virtually all my sailing is done on fresh water I am happy to use A2 Stainless Steel for fixings. Here is a link: http://www.screwfix.com/p/socket-countersunk-screws-a2-stainless-steel-m6-x-16mm-pack-of-50/96477

I cut the screw to length before fixing.

To remove the old swivel off the plate was easy. I simply held the plate in a vise and filed the head off the rivet.

[Black Sheep]

Thanks Dennis, that will do.
Michel