Shuttle Block??? $$$$$

[pyrofly73]

Another missing part on my Isomat nb40 boom is causing me grief.
The part is a block that travels inside the boom, it is used for single line reefing.

shuttle block. part #NB2-20 Rigrite price $89.00. (non ball bearing block) i find this hard to swallow.

I found a possible alternate in the seasure catalog part #29-60 (carbon needle bearings) only they have no us suppliers and since they are in in the UK they want more for the shipping than the block.

I have tried Harken, Lewmar, garhauer, Schaefer, and ronstan and find zip.

I DO NOT want to shackle 2 single blocks together as this would basically guarantee a huge tangle inside the boom between the 2 reefs and the outhaul purchase.

Does anyone have a source for a good quality shuttle block that was designed for this purpose?

also does anyone know where to get an aluminum bullseye fairlead/halyard restraint? or 10mm stainless rod stock in small quantities?

thanks for any help.

Xavier

[Brian Duff]

You do not want to to use that shuttle block system with "single' control line reefing. It doesn't work well at all. If you do use it, then use two high quality harken blocks shckled together. That isomat sheaveless thing is crap. put a good bit of tape over the shacle to shackle junction to keep things lined up right.

really you will want to have a reef hook up forward and reef pennent one part out back, or two control lines, one for tack and one for clew. the system of a bunch of blocks inside the boom is really not too great, and is hard to use, the blocks get hung up on fasteners , (unless you use rivets everywhere-yuk-but thats isomat so its probably what you got already) that single line reefing just doesn't really work at all, its aweful, when compared to the conventional system.

use either the Harken halyard restrainer (any halyard material) or the furlex/schaefer style retrainer (only with line halyards, not wire)

order your 10mm rod from McMaster.com