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I'm going to install a couple fairleads for the roller furler line. Do those need to be bolted in, with backing? Or do screws with some 3200 work? I don't see that there is any lifting pressure on them, which is why I ask.

Or maybe there is a principle that everyting should be bolted.

Thanks.

--john

Wanting to avoid holes that might leak or pull out...
I have lashed fairleads/pullies to my pulpit and the to the safety line stanchions.
Lashed = tied on with ropes so it gives a bit of movement, mainly because I did not find the bolt on type that I was willing to pay for.

Lee

I hadn't thought of that. I suppose a couple turning blocks or even soft shackles would do the job. Thanks!

I now have two fairleads for sale. Cheap.

--john

You probably still have to have one block on the deck, to lead the furler line to the center of the drum at 90 degrees, and as far away as is practical to keep the fleet angle down so it winds nicely without piling and jamming. The others, mounted to lifeline stanchions, can use soft shackles.

There isn't much force on the mounting of the first fairlead, so SS wood screws should be fine. But I would drill oversized blind holes, and fill them with epoxy, then redrill for the screws. Depending on what the deck is cored with in that area. If anything at all.

Oh, and many folks just use a bullseye fairlead, with SS insert to prevent wear and make it slippery, as the first fairlead. Low profile, and no moving parts, and it only induces a relatively small angle change so it doesn't really need to be a sheave. Bullseye fairleads on the stanchions are pretty common, don't flop around, and really are all you need for the rest of them.

Hm. Now I just learned about fleet angles. Thanks. I must have missed that in the directions.

Are you saying that would be better as a block rather than a fair lead? Is this because of the angle?

To continue the notion of avoiding holes in the deck, I suppose I could clip a block onto the base of a forward stanchion. Then do a couple soft shackles further aft. Or is it better to have the block fixed in place?

--john

Interim wrote:Hm. Now I just learned about fleet angles. Thanks. I must have missed that in the directions.

Check out page 10 (pdf page 12) of the CDI FFII manual, as an example. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/ ... manual.pdf

Interim wrote:Are you saying that would be better as a block rather than a fair lead? Is this because of the angle?

Actually, the opposite. My opinion only, but the angle change is small, so a cheap SS lined bullseye fairlead is really all you need for our little boats. Larger boats with heavier furling lines with lots of line pull would be better served with a stand-up fairlead block. But my boat came with a very little stand-up fairlead block for the furler, and since it works fine, that's how it'll stay.

And don't be tempted to use an unlined fairlead, if that's the way you decide to go; another member here posted a year or two ago about his unlined unit wearing into a slot and having to be replaced.

Interim wrote:To continue the notion of avoiding holes in the deck, I suppose I could clip a block onto the base of a forward stanchion. Then do a couple soft shackles further aft. Or is it better to have the block fixed in place?

That'll work as long as the line is led fair to the center of the drum at an angle of 90 degrees to the drum barrel. See the link above. That wouldn't work on my boat, but your stanchion arrangement may be different.

Plus one using the fair leads on the pulpit and stations. I have done this on both my D and X. Use the lined ones as someone else mentioned. I am able to furl even with the sail under load. You can purchase them from Sailrite already designed for the stations with hose clamp or saddle style mounts so you don't have to reinvent the wheel. Might even find them on Amazon.