Skene Chocks for Ariel?

[Sailfast-NJ]

:( Does anybody know of a supplier for these? The newest edition lists the manufacturer as no longer having them available. I tried to order them from ABI (Their very close!) but ABI's supplier is not making them any more either.

[ebb]

Hamilton Marine down in Maine may have some bronze ones. One of Tim Lackey's sites shows a more sensible chock with what looks like more rounded horns then regular sharp cornered skene chocks you always see. I don't see them in my 2002 catalog.

Skene chocks would be ok for towing nets astern - to me they are inappropriate for the protection of mooring and anchor lines which may take the strain at other angles than straight back. Hamilton has some locking and mooring chocks that look like they actually would lead line off the rail without cutting it.

But they are overpriced. imco skene chocks with the handed horns should be designed like two human thumbs, still port and starboard, BUT with radiused bottoms at a rounded plate where the line and the chaffing gear takes all the punishment. The lead should be fair at all angles.

Another place to look maybe is Spartan and Bristol Bronze.

If anybody has seen any salty rail chocks for both bow and stern that look like they would be kind to line would they let us know?


[Halsey Herreshoff has been mentioned here befor (Kurt Epiphany and Scott Galloway.) He's not as well known as his granddad and uncle but I believe he is equal to the family genius in small cruiser design. Any boat design of his I've seen on the net (not in person :( ) has been innovative and well thought out. Always wonder if he kept the family tradition alive by designing hardware as well - and what he may have come up with to replace the rediculous skene chock.]

www.newfoundmetals.com
has some 316 cleat/chocks worth seeing. They are open topped cleats with wide flat horns that look like they would cradle lines fairly well. Looks like you could whip the horns to capture a mooring line - and also surge a line without problem. They have some heft to them, and are blind fastened thru the bottom. Somewhat finniky. For this kind of fitting you'd need a real backup plate. They are a jazzy casting. Don't know that I would feel comfortable with only two "lagged in" stud bolts on a fitting that might be asked to do heroic work. Discussion??? The 316L 8" (with 3/8" bolts) retails for $40.

Think I'll try two at the ends of the taffrail!

Conceivable that if you are convinced you should have a mooring bit or a samson post in the bow this piece of hardware in a larger copy might make a very good LOW profile mooring point, taking the place of the usual foredeck cleat(s) AND the ankle buster! Wuduyu think? I'd like to hear from active sailors on this. Hell! inactive sailors.too!

[Bill]

For original hardware source, see thread "Original Pearson Hardware" in the Off Topic Forum: http://www.pearsonariel.org/discussion/showthread.php?p=13247

[ebb]

jist to round this out:
Normal skene chocks (www.hamiltonmarine.com) must be a holdover from turn of the century net fishing boats. Where line went out straight and bartaut over the stern. They don't have a place on a yacht where lines will be led at all kinds of angles thru the chock. And this type chock seems to specialize in hard sharp angles. Even the narrow base presents a chaffing point. These chocks shouldn't be sold without chaffing gear!

I bought a pair of the NFM cleat/chocks at a boat show, so I have no excuse. Got 8" and they are BIG. I liked the hidden mounting studs, the rounded sculpting, and I went like a magpie for the modern molding and the clint of all that burnished s.s.!
They do fit on the ends of Ariel stern rail, just barely. Because the rail bows out and the lead for line has to come from the side deck, the line would be at a weird compromised angle, even thru these oversized chocks.
I think I went for the 8" because the chock part of the dual purpose fitting is limited - it's wide but not a tall hole between those horns - which is good til you factor in your chaffing gear you'd have to have there anyway.
I liked the slant design of the fitting, (the slant is only evident in the line drawing on the NFM site) but it doesn't look right on the Ariel to me, slanted in or slanted out! So it finally dawned on me that it is a powerboat chock, where it doesn't really matter what it does or where it goes.

Found four in the garage just now, must have got a real deal. Offers???:o