TOPIC:

Hi all! I'm the proud new owner of a Fairey built wooden Albacore boat (#1558). My boat came with a piece of running rigging that the previous owner did not know the function of. It's not the mainsheet tackle, but there is no obvious place for it on the jib. The blocks are clearly marked with the Fairey stamp, so they appear to be orignial equipment.

There is only one piece of line, same size as the mainsheet, running through the blocks. One end is bent to one becket of a double-becket single sheave block (Block 1). It is thence rove through the sheave of a single becket block (Block 2). Attached to the becket of Block 2 is a pair of wire rope eyes. The line returns to the sheave of Block 1, running thence thru the sheave of block 3. This arrangement is mirrored on the other end of the line. Block 3 is similar to block 1 and Block 4 is similar to block 2. Also, attached to the second beckets of Blocks 1 and 3 are shackles that resemble the attachment point of the mainsail block to the traveler.

If each pair of blocks is hauled chock a block, the overall length of the tackle would be about 10 Ft.
I hope this makes sense to someone. At least if there are any MK II Albacore owners on here would you kindly provide detail images of your jib tackle and halyard.
Thanks!
John

Hi John



There can't be too many Albs in your part of the world on the US West Coast, lets hope you are starting a new fleet over there.



If you can post a picture of the mystery rigging (or email one to me and I will post for you) we can take a look as see if we can help. As Albs do not have many restrictions in the way they are fitted out, it could be any number of things, but a picture may make it clear.



email: john[at]woffinden.net

Some early albacores ran the jib haliard back down through the jib hanks and through a hole in the deck at the bow and were tensioned by block and pulley under the foredeck. There was also a variation with a lateral toothed rack on the foredeck that the wire could be pulled across and hooked on for additional tension. Could your bits be part one of these systems?




Hope this helps.





JohnT

John T: as far as the Jib halyard, I appreciate your answer very much. This was a question I needed answered. Indeed, my boat has the very equipment you speak of. I was quite curious as to the purpose of the sawtooth thing under there. The entire length of my jib halyard is wire rope, and I'm curious if it's intended to be spliced or shackled to fiber line. Where should the jib halyard be cleated? I have a pair of cleats on the mast and a pair of wooden cleats on the starboard side, under the deck in the forward cockpit area.









I can't imagine where the mystery tackle goes if it would be rigged in the bow where all that stuff is. I emailed the previous John the requested picture so that everyone can see what I'm talking about. Jnish2010-04-20 21:55:59

Here is the pic. My thoughts are that it is a set of 2:1 jib sheets.



The wire eyes on block 2 and 4 shackle onto the jib, block 1 and 3 would attach to what would be the jib fairlead position, the jib sheets are continuous so that the extra line that the 2:1 purchase generates is taken up on the other side of the set up.



Any other ideas?

I think this would have bveen the uphaul for the galvanised centreboard.

I have been corresponding with a gentlemen here in the US who has helped me identify the tackle as the Centerboard rig. I guess the only thing missing is the cleats that should fit on the thwart.



Thanks to all that helped out!



John