Stand-up blocks or deck organizers?

[kito]

I am about to rewire the mast and change out the halyards on my H30 project boat. I am upgrading all wire and light fixtures with LED's and also installing new halyards since I am running the main back to the cockpit now. Currently the boat is setup with the jib and spinnaker exiting the two openings on the mast on the port side. The main is exiting the one starboard side opening. This boat was kept as a "stock" boat since it came from the factory.....no cabin top winches, clutches etc. I have installed port and starboard cabin top winches and double clutches. I will be running my main halyard, 2 line reef lines for luff / clew and boom vang back to the cockpit. My vang will not use a clutch but a Harken extreme angle cam cleat. Since I am installing a furler I will only need to cleat off the jib halyard at the mast and also the spinnaker halyard. My lines coming back will go through blocks attached to the mast plate. My 2 reef lines will go to the port clutches and my main to one of the starboard clutches. I am debating on installing spring loaded stand-up blocks for the 4 lines going back to the cockpit. Is there any pro/cons over using deck organizers instead?

 

[centerline]

some of this may seem elemantary, but here it is....
spring loaded stand up blocks are designed as a turning block for lines that may be tensioned from various angles (such as a deck hand holding tensioning the line while moving about the deck), or where the line may be slack a lot of the time and the spring can help keep the block from rattling..... if the line always has a bit of tension, (like mast base blocks) a non spring loaded block can work just as well.....

if the angle of the lead to and from the block always remains constant, there are mast base turning blocks that come single sheave or multiple sheave, and are like stand up organizers rather than the deck organizers..

deck organizers are a series of cheek blocks manufactured all in a row, which is more compact, neater, and easier to install than several individual cheek blocks to do the same thing..... but the lines into and out of the organizer have to have to remain at an acceptable angle at all times (no side loading beyond 2-3 degrees) and it doesnt matter if the lines ever become slack....

so in your case, you need turning blocks at the base of the mast.. and with a regular block (spring loaded or not), you could run the lines from them straight to the winch, but it will probably interfere with your hatch..... so it would be normal for there to be an organizer mounted to the deck to the side of the mast and slightly rearward, and directly forward of the winches... this allows the lines to clear everything as needed and still look good...
one really shouldnt use standup blocks in place of an organizer in this position, as they only become more of a tripping hazard and something for jib sheets to tangle on...

 

[Stu Jackson]

cl's analysis is very, very good. I would add: lots depends on your layout and fair leads. Anything that stands up has the potential to be in the way of something else.

 

[kito]

Thanks Centerline. I guess I was thinking using stand up blocks since they are more user friendly as far as the lead in angle of the line (vertically). It looks in my case that I would need to install my organizer on an inch or so riser to get the line more inline with the Garhauer organizer.

 

[centerline]

Thanks Centerline. I guess I was thinking using stand up blocks since they are more user friendly as far as the lead in angle of the line (vertically). It looks in my case that I would need to install my organizer on an inch or so riser to get the line more inline with the Garhauer organizer.

Using a fairing block/wedge is normal and acceptable, and still neater and less obtrusive than using spring loaded stand up blocks...

 

[Ward H]

4 standup blocks would equal 16 deck penetrations vs a 4 block organizer's 2? Sounds like the organizer would be much simpler to install.