So my P16 has these two blocks on each side of the mast on the sides of the boom gooseneck attachment point. These are riveted to the mast, so no removing a pin to replace them. Of course, as soon as I went to properly downhaul the main, one of the plastic block sheaves snapped and the other will snap the next time. So, I could go buy a replacement unit, go drill out the old rivets, figure out how to put up new rivets in a way that does not make the mast leak like a sieve, and have myself two shiny new downhaul blocks. The question is - do I need them? The lack of the first one did not slow me down a bit - the downhaul line wraps and slides around the pin on which the block sheave rotated as well as around the surviving sheave on the other side of the mast. I am thinking I can save myself some trouble and just pass the downhaul around the pin as well as it went around the sheave. Am I missing something?
No. Pete
prindle pete
The tighter radius of the pin vs. the block may cause your downhaul line to fatigue quicker. Keep an eye on it and replace at a shorter interval than you normally might and you should have no trouble.
no sweat...you don't need the plastic at all.
coastrat