29mm upper main sheet block

At mid winters earlier this month I noticed that one of the guys from up North was using a very small upper main block. My new boat came with the 40mm upper block and this guy was running a 29mm block for the main. That's the same size as the downhaul block. Can the 29mm harken block stand up to the pressure of the main? or does this guy I saw carry more spare blocks than I think he does? The racing on Saturday and sunday was about 15mph winds and the only thing he broke was a main halyard and no blocks from what I saw.

Has anyone else seen this?

40 mm is the current stock mainsheet block. The 29 mm has a 990 lb working load. On a 6:1 mainsheet, that would mean you're hanging on to a 165 lb pull on the line. Probably not ever going to happen, even with dynamic loading.

29 mm is too big for the downhaul, even though Hobie sells the kit with them. I run Harken micro blocks.

I've never, ever seen a Harken block fail catastrophically. And I've been buying them for over 40 years.

MBounds i dont think the 29mm is stock. pretty sure the 40mm is stock. Per Matt Miller the stock main sheet is 9mm Liros. 29mm Harken block max line is 8mm.

Yeah. Stock should be 40mm. (i think) And I have broken a harken block, but I can break anything.

It was a carbo' air block that was on my 05 h16 Aussie system when I bought the boat

Sent from my stone tablet

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The Carbo blocks are not really strong enough for the jib halyard (Aussie style). I used Harken wire bullet blocks for that application (roller bearings, not ball) and I had one eventually fail (but not catastrophically). I just use what comes on the boat now.

Humm... I guess I will have to take a quick measurement.. I didn't think the upper block was that small.

I replaced the blocks on the old boat with the harken ones you suggest for the Aussie halyard, and looks like the new boat came with the same..(came from Sohn) Harken warrantied the Carbo blocks no problem.. But they remain in the toolbox.

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Harken H2640 ??????

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OK, so I got out my ruler, and my eyes are definitely calibrated to English measurements.

The upper blocks on my 14 and 16 mainsheet systems are 40 mm.

I've corrected my posts where I could. A 29 mm would work, but it's really small.

thats what she said

I have the same issues.

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