Jib Sheet Tracks and Cleats

Having installed roller reefing / furling on Tra Bhui, it made sense to change the genoa's fixed fairleads for adjustable fairleads and track. 

While it can be argued that these may not be really necessary on a Drascombe, the old fairleads were the original ones and although they had lasted well it made sense from the point of reliability to replace them with a set of sliding fairleads. 

The new fairleads when paired with a set of swivel jib cleats not only allowed the genoa to be properly set when reefed, but which allowed the jib sheets to be fed back to the helm position without creating any sharp bends in them.

Always one for a bargain I sourced a new set of Holt adjustable fairleads with spring loaded pin-stop fairlead cars and plain bearing loop Top Blocks (pulleys).

A strip of marine plywood (20 mm thick) was cut to provide a anchor for the fixing screws

The fairlead track was easily installed by screws through the deck into a strip of marine plywood which I cut to fit the underside.

The fairlead track was simply fixed in place using stainless steel screws driven into the marine plywood which had been placed under the deck - Note the new swivel cam cleat fixed on the center thwart

The old fairleads have been retained for the moment  as in due course they may have a use as the Refurbishment and upgrading of Tra Bhui continues