Schaefer Marine Blocks provide legendary strength
by Tracey Johnstone on 28 Feb 2008
The good news for Australia’s yachting community is the return of the beautifully crafted Schaefer Marine blocks and hardware products to Australia.
Schaefer has a world-wide reputation for producing good, solid products suitable to the yacht market. The workmanship in their stainless steel products is faultless. Developed over a period of 40 years, Schaefer are recognised as industry leaders in the design and production of strong, durable, high-quality marine products.
DeckHardware, the importer of the Schaefer block and hardware range, announced this month its partnership with the American manufacturer as part of DeckHardware’s expansion of their wholesale marine product range.
DeckHardware’s managing director, Phil Yeomans, says “we wanted to find something in the general range of boating products to compliment our range of Liros ropes, Blue Performance canvas products, Forespar plumbing, Man Ship fittings, Splicing Nut, Velocitek and Peter G marine cleaning products.
“Schaefer are well-known for their stainless steel products for yachts. Their fittings and products are on a large range of boats in America.”
Schaefer’s Tuff Luff foil system and Battslide mainsail car system products have been widely available in Australia for several years. Now, the Australian yachting community can enjoy more of the same high-quality Schaefer products manufactured in stainless steel, plastic and alloy.
Flip through the Schaefer catalogue at the local ship-chandlery and any sailor will be impressed by the range of deck and hardware product choices.
Universal Deck Mount
Innovative, clean lines along with clearly strong construction take the eye to the Universal Deck Mount. What a brilliant concept. Whether you need a cleat, padeye, block or flush deck, this one mount will do the job.
The beauty of this product for cruiser/racers is in its versatility. The base plate and cleat are constructed from stainless steel. Once installed, it can be used with any one of the three options.
While at the dock for example, the sailor can lock a cleat into the top plate with locking pins. Once the boat is sailing, the cleat can be easily removed. If the crew find themselves in rough weather and need a strong point to attach their harnesses, or perhaps a strong point to tie the dinghy, they can screw the stainless steel eye bolt into the plate.
While racing, an extra turning block on the deck can be very useful whether the crew need to barber-haul out the spinnaker sheet or while polling out the headsail. Just screw in the stainless steel single swivel block. The turning block will handle up to a load of 2750 lbs.
Easy change-over, solid construction, simple concept – this is the type of equipment a crew needs when going to sea.
Mid-Rail Chock/Cleat
Often yachts, particularly cruising yachts, do not have enough appropriate strong points for the attachment of mooring lines. Too often the crew will use the headsail or halyard winch for those lines.
The Mid-Rail Chock/Cleat is another innovation from Schaefer which is likely to extend the life of those headsail and halyard winches. The chock/cleat slides onto the genoa t-track. It can be placed wherever it is required along the track. The spring-loaded pin allows for the chock/cleat to be locked into position while it is being used for springers, fenders or mooring lines.
The chock/cleat is constructed from stainless steel and comes in two sizes – 25mm or 31mm track. It is another easy to use product from the Schaefer range.
Alloy innovations
While Schaefer has a legendary reputation for producing solid stainless steel deck hardware, they have recognised the need to also meet the market demand for products using the latest technology. As a result Schaefer has produced a new range of alloy hardware led by the M-Series.
M-Series
The M-Series blocks were released to the international market-place in the November 2007. They are light-weight, good-looking, functional and strong. These blocks do not replace the Schaefer stainless steel block range, but simply compliment the traditional product.
This new series of blocks feature Torlon rollers, Delrin ball bearings and machined aluminium sideplates. The bocks are available in 66mm, 82mm and 100mm sizes. They come as lashing blocks, halyard lead blocks, spring blocks and foot blocks.
Pick up an alloy block and any weight-conscious skipper is going to feel the difference. The alloy blocks are noticeably lighter, but there is no compromise in strength.
Light-weight Cam Cleat
The light-weight Cam Cleat is another innovation from the new alloy product range.
Sailors will be familiar with the stainless steel cleats of old. Chunky and heavy. The new Schaefer alloy Cam Cleat is significantly lighter in weight. It is tough and durable. The flared jaws make it easy to drop lines into the cleat and they are easy to disassemble and clean.
The Market
Yeomans says Schaefer’s blocks and deck hardware are particularly well-suited to cruiser/racers. “There are an awful lot of those boats being built and that is where Schaefer fits into the market place.
“They are not into the carbon racers. Yes, some of the Schaefer products will fit the racing market. But, it is the racer/cruiser people who are really our target.”
With a five year guarantee on materials and workmanship, solid construction, a large range of products and the backing of Phil Yeomans and his team DeckHardware, it will be hard to pass by the local ship chandlery without checking out the new range of blocks and deck hardware from Schaefer.
Contact details:
DeckHardware (Marine Solutions Australasia)
F5 122-126 Old Pittwater Rd
Brookvale NSW 2100
Tel: 61 (0) 2 9905 9400
Fax: 61 (0) 2 9905 click here to go to DeckHardware
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