Bronze Dinghy Hardware

[Bruce Kershaw]

Yes, I'm still working on the pram. ;D

I happened to get my hands on a nice, bronze gooseneck that will work just right for my sail rig.

Of course now, I find myself looking at going with all bronze hardware.

I know it's pricey. I know it's overkill... But I like the stuff.

An 8 ft. boat won't take that much. It will outlast the boat. and I'll still have it for a future project.

Anyhow... Jamestown Distributors has these...

I guess they'd work fine for a small sail and 1/4" line...

Any suggestions for other sources?

Thanks 8) 

[Frank Hagan]

Check out the load ratings on the bronze hardware; its probably OK for a dinghy, but I remember being shocked at how low the maximum load was on them when I did my Weekender.

I think the Jamestown blocks are from API (something like that), and they are nice looking blocks.  The other bronze blocks I've seen are rough cast, with grind markings on the sides, and not polished.  They are probably more authentic, but they aren't very pretty.

Duckworks.com has some bronze blocks for sale that are rough cast, and they have pics of them.  Bristol Bronze duplicates the blocks designed by Nat Herresoff, but I've heard the finish is rough on these too (they have drawings of the at http://www.bristolbronze.com/ but no pictures). 

You have more choices with nice wooden blocks.  Woodenboat.org sells some nice ones, and there are quite a few little companies making them.  I think Duckworks has a write up on making some yourself.

[Bruce Kershaw]

Hmmm... They're rated at 500 lbs working load.

I'm not going to get close to that with the mainsheet on a 38sq ft sail, am I?

[Ken_Potts]

You do lilve in tornado country, don't you? 

[Bruce Kershaw]

You do live in tornado country, don't you?

LOL! Used to. (See Fintan's Wedding thread.)

Only little ones here, ocasionally... and with hurricanes.

Oh, and lots of waterspouts.

[Ken_Potts]

  You're probably okay with the 500lb block for the sheet then.  ;D

[Konrad]

Hmmm... They're rated at 500 lbs working load.

I'm not going to get close to that with the mainsheet on a 38sq ft sail, am I?

So many jokes.. So little bandwidth...

[Konrad]

(nice hardware selection, by the way)

[Bruce Kershaw]

So many jokes.. So little bandwidth...

Paul was right about you.

[Frank Hagan]

500#?  They are rated higher than I thought.  I had a little bronze snap shackle that was rated at 35# (used it on my jib, and it worked, but I decided to give up the idea of bronze blocks for the rest of the boat). 

I wonder how you estimate the real loads on a rig?  Actually, I don't ... I know there's math involved so I'll never do it.  My nephew was here for Thanksgiving, and I made the mistake of asking him what he was taking in school.  One of the classes is "Multi-Variable Calculus".  The only calculus I've ever understood was the kind on my teeth.

But it seems to reason that 500# would be plenty strong enough.