A good anchor fairlead...

[John B]

Is roller bearing.


I discovered this anchor fairlead today at our local second hand boat parts place. You can tell the quality and if there is one thing I particularly appreciate , it’s a good casting and design. This one is actually a Murray fairlead and it’s designed to sit up over the toe rail to starboard. Probably for a particular type of boat but easily adapted with a packer or a cut out or two to fit most .
I hoped that it would be what it is and that is a roller bearing fairlead. Because it’s never been used it was dry and I couldn’t tell. It was oxidised and I just gave it a quick buff up and pulled it apart to look at the axle.I’m not so sure about the asymetrical wheel on it but I expect it would work fine..
This is a pet subject of mine. “Back in those days “ when electric capstans were unreliable and heavy ( or non existent) The designers of such fittings made it easy to do a job. Our own fairlead on our boat is a bigger version of this one and many times over the years I’ve noticed that my friends struggle away with significantly lighter gear on their 30footers when Kirsty or I can haul up our anchor and chain tout suite..Our boat would be literally twice as heavy and yet we have little trouble. Why?. ROLLER BEARING.
It’s an idea worth incorporating( which is why I post this.)

The other fitting is a good score. They come up from time to time. It’s Jib fairlead .A pattern typical of an early NZ yacht from the same period as Waione.. Edwardian.
They can be an utter pain because to alter the set of the jib you have to move the jib up and down rather than moving a car like we’re all used to. The way it works is the jib sheet is spliced around the neck of the fairlead. Then it goes up through a small block on a pendant attached to the clew and back down through the fairlead proper. For numerous reasons, I don’t do that but it’s nice to have the proper period fitting.

[ 10-13-2003, 11:50 PM: Message edited by: John B ]

[Stiletto]

John, I visit Auckland a couple of times a year. What is the name of the store and where is it?
Cheers.

[Mike Field]

I can't tell about the "asymetrical wheel" from your photos John, but is it possible that it's really asymetric wear due to a jammed roller? This would shoot down your theory that it hasn't been used of course.

Anyway, it shouldn't be difficult to get a new one made up, or even true up the old one as long as you don't have to sacrifice too much diameter.
.

[Dan McCosh]

This thing fascinates me, as it looks like an answer to a problem. It looks as if it was intended to sit over the rail behind a chock let into the toerail, the wheel would guide the line aft, while the rail would keep it on the wheel forward, despite the lack of the flange. The line could easily be slipped off into the chock, which would then take the anchoring load. I'm assuming a rope rather than a chain, of course.

[Dan McCosh]

Any idea where one might find another of these things?

[John B]

Dan, short answer. No. I've only come across a couple and I own em both.LOL.
Mike, Mike Mike. It's new buddy.Not worn at all. At least it was new in 1950-frozen stiff and it's been in some boatbuilders mustusesomeday box since then. The extra high roller will stop the rode hopping off to the outside ... like an extended cheek on the fairlead body proper. I suspect that the other part of the equation is the forestay fitting itself which will have another un rollered fairlead cast into it so that should the warp hop off it can only go one way and into another chock. I'll look around some of the Townsons and K class boats for one fitted.

[Mike Field]

.
Oops. <blush> Sorry JohnB. Jeeze, I'm sorry I spoke now. I'm really embarrassed.

Ha.
.

[John B]

Yeah right.

I say, Mike old chap. Looking forward to a bit of whup ass in the rugby are you ?

GOOOOOO Black.

[Dan McCosh]

Looking at this thing again, it is a really good idea. The roller is shaped the way it is to allow it to be close to the rail, which makes it stronger. The rail itself forms the opposite side. (the chock on my boat is inset into the rail, and would also make a portion of the guide. I need one of these.

[Stiletto]

Thanks John.

[John B]

Sorry Stiletto. Boat Bits.Barrys point road.

[Stiletto]

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