My boat is overdue for new sheave bushings in the masthead. The originals are stainless and have lasted for nearly 45 years. I'm in fresh water. Is there any advantage or disadvantage to switching to a typical bronze bushing?
Now for something super exciting... Sheave bushings
- Thread starter Project_Mayhem
- Start date
Consider changing the sheaves to ball bearing sheaves. They have less friction than bronze or SS.
It's been about three years since I opened up the masthead. The bushings were shot then but worked surprisingly well for a season or two. If the sheaves are worn I will definitely switch to ball bearings. Great suggestion Dave!
I switched to the Garhauer ball bearing sheaves years ago and they are a great improvement over the standard sheaves.
One drawback to using the ball bearing sheaves is it will necessary and an OSHA requirement that crew on deck wear hardhats when lowering the mainsail. It will come down that quickly. 
GIves new meaning to the phrase "Cut and run"!One drawback to using the ball bearing sheaves is it will necessary and an OSHA requirement that crew on deck wear hardhats when lowering the mainsail. It will come down that quickly.
Probably not other than the SS ball bearing sheaves will last forever. The typical bronze or aluminum bushings tend to wear flat spots, the ball bearing bushings do not. The flat spots come from the subtle back and forth movement of the halyard while the sail is up and when the halyard is secure.
The ball bearing sheaves also have less friction, hence the warning about the sail coming down quickly. More importantly, the sail is easier to raise, although on a 25' boat, that is less of an issue than on a larger boat with a heavier sail.
Thank you for the straight forward answer. When the track was clean and the sheaves greased up, it was very very easy to pull up the main despite the fact that the bushings were worn
Ball bearing sheaves that don’t rust or corrode are very hard to find In the right size for most masts. Sheaves must fit exactly right - especially width, axel diameter, and line diameter. Any sloppiness will let the sheave bind or cock causing line wear and friction. Bearing bronze(oil impregnated bronze) bearings with acetal sheaves will last a long, long time if properly sized to the line. These custom made sheaves are a great solution. Sheave Sizing — Zephyrwerks, The Sheave Factory
Last edited:
Have you checked with Garhauer? They have a bunch of standard sizes and when I have called them with weird needs, they have told me that they can custom fab pretty much anything. They made me a set of sheeves to change my 3:1 traveler to 5:1 and told me it would be easy to get 5:1 if needed.