Building ‘Sharpy’ Part 82

Testing Bracket and Ball Bearing Pulley

The Knot and the Stopper retain the rope

I concentrated on two things today, parts of the keel hoist system. I first cut out the side decks around the ball bearing pulley bracket to make them fit; then I tested the pulley to make sure it was running freely. After that I made a keyhole and stopper for the keel hoist pulleys. This clever feature locks the tail of the rope that will be attached to pulleys for hoisting and lowering the keel.

Stopper and Keyhole

The photographs illustrate how the stopper and keyhole device will work. Instead of a continuous line running between the keyhole and the ball bearing pulley, there will be a purchase block system to minimize the effort require for operating the keel which weighs over 80 lbs.


I suppose my next priority will be fixing a seat; either a proprietary one or a bespoke one. I’ve still not come to any conclusions as to what to do for seating. As the boat will be heeled when on the wind, I really should opt for a system that will support either side of the crew, i.e., me!