Cleats and Chocks
Dear All,

I do not have any toe-rail chocks and I am missing a set of original aluminum cleats in the stern. Any ideas about how to get these?

Thanks,

Chris Mabel's Casse Tete

Dear All,

One of the members sent me an email and offered to sell me two cleats at a reasonable price - so I have 2 original cleats coming!

My boat has no chocks at all! So, anyone with a 43 who has handy pictures of docking set-up fore, aft and midships, please post. I would appreciate this help.

Chris Mabel's Casse Tete 43/003

Dear All,

Is this possibly an original springline chock?

Hi Chris,

I haven´t seen a chock like that before. I believe original ones look like these (white paint might not be original).

Fair winds,

Teemu (43/014 Eleanor)

Dear Teemu,

Thank you for your post. Yes, I agree that the picture of the fitting I posted does not look like a standard chock and the one you show looks very nice indeed.

I need to have something fabricated and will attempt to make something that's similar to the original.

One further question; where is the cleat you use to with the chock shown in your picture?

Thank you,

Chris Mabel's Casse Tete 43/003

Dear Chris,

the cleat is approximately 3ft towards the bow. There is another chock just besides it, similar to the smaller one in the picture.

Teemu

Dear Teemu,

Thank you. Of course, that leads to more questions! Is the cleat the large aluminum type found at the bow? Were your chocks originally SS or Aluminum?

And, finally, any ideas about what i have shown you in my picture? My boat is older than yours so it's possible that the design changed but i still agree with you that mine does not really look like a chock.

Thank you again for helping!

Chris Mabel's Casse Tete 43/003

Dear Chris,

yes, the cleat is aluminum style, similar to the ones at bow and stern. Sorry, cannot say what the chocks are made of. They look like casted though. I will find out when I visit the boat next time. I think our boats were both delivered spring/summer -69, so It would be bit funny if they had such a different chocks. But you never know. The professor might have an opinion on this?

Teemu (43/014 Eleanor)

Dear Teemu,

Thank you for your reply. I agree, it is unlikely that the boats would have been delivered with a different setup...but my boat does have some differences installed by the original owner. Hard as it is for me to believe, I have 4 steel bars running from the bow to the stern at the waterline and glassed in. The Professor confirmed that these were installed at the owner's request at a yard, I think in England, after delivery.

Still, I wonder about the function of the SS fitting I posted.

Professor, maybe you could comment? If anyone knows, it is you!

Chris Mabel's Casse Tete 43/003

Dear Chris
Assume the photo you posted is taken midships, if so it is likely be a fitting for the spinnaker aft guy block. If this fitting is near the aft end it is for the spinnaker sheet block.
These fittings were made in the builder's own metal shop, and as the first owner of hull 003 was a very successful racing man it can be assumed that he had a saying with the layout of these details, and maybe did not bother much about mooring arrangements.
It appears that many 43's have ordinary fairleads at the bow.
Kind regards
Lars

Dear Professor,

Thank you for solving the mystery! Yes, it is located midships. It is the only one I have but may be used as a template for the other three. The pictures you supplied, along with wooden templates I make, should be sufficient to fabricate the chocks.

Chris Mabel's Casse Tete 43/003

Chris:

Attached are some photos of the toe rail fittings aboard Swan 43 "Hiro Maru" for your reference.

Regards,

Hiro

Aft fitting with spinnaker sheet turning block

Mid-ship toe rail fitting for spinnaker after guy block and spring line chock

Mid-ship toe rail fitting for miscellaneous block

Dear Hiro,

Thank you for posting those pictures! They are exactly what I need! And they explain a lot, although not why I only have one! That will likely remain a mystery.

Chris Mabel's Casse Tete 43/003