Block Choice

I have only destroyed one block completely,

it was a ronstan on the jib track at the tiger and all that remained were the metal sideplates. However I put this down to excessive jib flogging during recovery and expect that it would have happened to any ball bearing block!

Ive never har4 a problem with the new generation of holt blocks, and i am convinced that they have the best cleats, my problem lies with the holt ratchet blocks, the amout of those big grey auto ratchets i have been through is to be honest unnacceptable from holt. they just dont last. and i had the same problem with those ronstan smart ratchets. Now i just use on-off ratchets, i feel these auto ratchets are just unreliable whatever company you use. Salt water is the wrong environment for small fiddly moving components. On my 400 i have those small harken carbo ratchets, which i feel are great, on the kite and jib and on the main i have an old fredrikson ratchet block (i think ronstan make them now) but it is bullet proof. But the newer holt blocks (not the old grey style from 3 or so years ago) are fine.

Thank you for all your replies the feed back has been taken in. I would like to point out that you are all refering to the Holt Blocks, thats good, as they always wanted the product to be the cheaper end of the market. We at Allen Brothers wanted to push the product to the rest of the world and the new products that are coming to the market very soon are very special. As an example the new rachet block is lighter than anything you have now, and stronger. The first prototype has been tested on a volvo 70 it will be out later this year. Just to give you some figures on the prototype the breaking load is over 1000kg and it works on load ie the more wind the harder it works. I will post pictures of the new products very soon, once the copy right is in place. I will look forward to your feed back then. This is just one of many changes to the range.

I've had no problems with holt blocks breaking. This is probably because all mine are used within their specified working load, and where a hi load pulley is needed one is used.

Harken cleats are much better than any other on the market at the moment though at a price!

I've never liked Autoratchets and don't use them. Switches are perfectly adequate for me.

I have to say that my 600 has holt blocks every where apart from the mainsheet and part of the outhaul. I haven't replaced them for two reasons. 1) They are too much of a hassle to get off. 2) They have been there since the boat was new, which is a long time and they are showing no signs of wear or giving up. I will be interested to see what Allen bring out now that they have moved away from holt.