Dart 15 Forums

Paul Viner wrote:

Overenthusiatic crews and sprint helms keep pulling the jib block fitting out. I've tried drilling out the pop rivet and replacing it, but it's getting monotonous. Any ideas?

Keith in Hong Kong replied:

All I can suggest is, if your block fittings are the simple lacing eye type, is that you fix a 15mm wide(say)x 3/4mm thick strip of anodised aluminium (keel band type) over the existing holes, fixed outside the area of the eye with big self tappers in to the tramp track/deck below.

Whack a big c/sk one under the eye as well, then re-fix the eye through the new and the old.

It may raise the sheeting angle slightly, so you may have to change the block shackle/swivel to make up for it.

It may also help to run some epoxy (or glassfibre resin) down the old holes to beef them up a bit.......but run it down a straw so it doesn't get all over the place!

For what it's worth.

Bob Carter replied:

The assymetric fairleads are useless. A few years ago we passed a rule allowing tracks in their place which are both stronger (attached by 4+ rivets) and adjustable. It does cost about ?35 to fit them and you need a rivet gun. I use RWO parts as follows:
Track R 2701 2off
Endstops R2770 4 off
Adjustable Fairlead R2560 2 off
All can be got by post from Pinnell & Bax (01604 592808)
You drill off the existing loops. Fill one hole with a rivet. Use the other hole as one of the fixings for the new track. Bias the track slightlty forward (ie get 2/3 in front and 1/3 behind the old fixing approximately).
Cheers, Bob Carter

Tim Dieu de Bellefontaine replied:

fit adjustable tracks, OR fit dart 18 tracks as thses have jib failead points built in. You will need a larger bolt rope in the tramp, (which means the boat will be more rigid)
and the track will last even longer