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« on: February 10, 2021, 12:51:01 PM »
Thanks Ed- Those photos sure look like my sheeve box.
I made this photo with a 420MM lens last year from the ground. It is such a long perspective it looks like the Windex will foul the antenna- it does not.
The 'flasher' sheeve and halyard have since been replaced LoL.
The block parted and the Flasher ended up in the sea-
You can see the 10-32 cap-head screws I installed with Heli-coils 20 years ago locating the masthead box to the mast. They came out like the day they were installed.
My DaD had brought a bucket of surplus aerospace quality stainless fasteners of all types home from the RCA AED skunkworks in 1970 where he had his own little fab shop.
It was my job to sort them and I HATED it.
He told me I'd learn to appreciate these fasteners when I was older and boy was he right. They are fantastic quality and I use them to this day. They are so fine the lock washers are barely visible. They are chamfered so perfectly they thread like butter.
When I installed my NASA Clipper wind instruments last season it was only 4 trips up the mast on webbing ladder to measure and install an aluminum bracket I made at home for the wireless wind vane using a couple slightly longer cap screws (on the other side).
I believe my sheeves are still turning on their bearings and the axels are free as well since I was able to lube them when installing the wind instruments.
I'd like to get another season out of this main halyard since I've got to replace the cabin top handrails and install a new solid-state boat speed transducer and its brainbox this Spring. The halyard's splice is not safe for a bosons chair. Its steel cable is on the winch once the main is up so that is secure.
Its been 18 years at least since I bought that rope to wire halyard. They seem very expensive now.
What is the upside of all rope halyards besides price and a little less weight aloft?
Thanks again Ed!