I have been working on a PocketShip plans build here in Thailand, and I'm fairly comfortable and confident in the woodwork and the fiberglass/resin work. But I'm concerned about my ability here to source the additional sailing hardware. I'm talking to a few large sailing equipment and parts suppliers here and they aren't so forthcoming about being able to source the various namebrand hardware listed in the build manual and the various kits supplied by CLC. They aren't even offering alternatives.
So I've mostly been building from the manual and hoping I could figure out how to source what I need to before I get to that point.
I've finally stumbled into a sourcing problem and I wanted to ask for advice. On page 108, there is a nylon sheave for the centerboard. (Picture attached.) The text says "The sheave should be nylon, marine grade, 2" in diameter, and between 1/2" and 5/8" wide." I have a local machinist that will machine a piece of nylon to these specs for me for about $10. The biggest question I have is about the words "marine grade". Is there such thing as "marine grade nylon"? I've provided a few pictures of the sheave from other builder blogs to the local machinist, and he seems confident he can build exactly that. Is this an acceptable way to proceed? Are there concerns about this?
aIf I need to change this sheave later to something more standard in the future, will I just be able to unscrew it and replace it, or is it somehow entombed in the centerboard trunk in such a way that it had better last forever? (The pictures I've seen show pockets cut out to make it lighter, or probably just use less material and make it cheaper, but if I am machining it, should I just make it solid except for the screw hole and the slot for the rope at the end?)
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.